Sternoclavicular joint infection necessitating through skin and lung parenchyma.

Infections of the sternoclavicular joint associated with extensive local soft tissue involvement or abscess formation often require surgical debridement and drainage. This condition typically presents with joint pain, local erythema, and swelling. This case demonstrates the simultaneous extension of a sternoclavicular joint infection into the left upper pulmonary lobe and through the overlying skin. Copyright 2010 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.