A Rarely Seen Chest Wall Deformity in the Emergency Department: Costa Hypoplasia

Costa hypoplasia is the rarest form of chest wall deformity and is usually asymptomatic. It can be confused with true costal pathologies such as all costa variations and deformities, traumatic injuries, tumoral lesions and infectious and inflammatory causes. We present a case of costa hypoplasia which was detected at the location of trauma of a 38 year old woman who was admitted to our emergency department as a result of a traffic accident. The discernment of common costal fractures from costal deformities by emergency department physicians can prevent unnecessary consultations and reduce the length of stay in the emergency department.