[Enchondroma protuberance with destroying the rib: report of a case].

A 18-year-old female was admitted to our hospital because of a mass shadow in the left upper lung field on chest roentgenogram of a medical check. Computed tomography and magnet resonance imaging of the chest revealed a tumor which located in the left 5th rib, and was unclearly demarcated to the rib. Under the diagnosis of a rib tumor, the patient was treated by radical en bloc excision. The pathologic diagnosis was enchondroma protuberance of the rib. This tumor may be indistinguishable from osteochondroma or chondrosarcoma. Therefore, total resection is recommended for accurate diagnosis and absolute cure.