Massive pleural effusion as a result of hereditary multiple exostoses

Abstract

Hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) is a rare, benign autosomal dominant genetic disorder, but in very rare cases they can have malignant transformation. Exostoses can cause pain, pressure on some nerves, blood vessels and damage on surrounding tissues. Chest CT and CT angiography play an indispensable role in the diagnoses and management of exostoses. We report an eleven-year-old boy with massive pleural effusion caused by costal exostoses on the right ninth rib. Costal exostoses represent an unusual cause of pleural effusion.