Giant cell tumors that originated in the sternum.

Giant cell tumors originating from the sternum are rare. We report a case of a giant cell tumor of the sternum with radiological evidence of aggressiveness. A 34 year-old woman noted a mass in the anterior chest wall that had been slowly growing over 1 year. After incision biopsy revealed a diagnosis of a giant cell tumor she was treated by surgical resection (subtotal sternectomy) and reconstruction with methylmethacrylate. The tumor was 14×9×8 cm, and histological study confirmed that it was a giant cell tumor. Although giant cell tumors are benign, they are locally aggressive lesions and must be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with a sternal mass. © The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery 2011