Rare Case of Asymptomatic Sternal Wire Migration Into the Ascending Thoracic Aorta Following Thoracic Surgery

TL;DR

A 62-year-old woman had a rare case where a sternal wire moved into her aorta after thoracic surgery but was successfully removed.

Contribution

This paper presents a rare case of asymptomatic sternal wire migration into the ascending thoracic aorta following thoracic surgery.

Findings

Computed tomography angiography revealed a sternal wire embedded in the ascending aorta.

The patient remained asymptomatic despite the wire migration.

Successful surgical re-intervention was performed to remove the wire.

Abstract

We report the case of a 62-year-old woman who underwent complex thoracic surgery for a Pancoast tumor, involving both posterior and anterior approaches, including a posterior cervical incision and a right anterior cervico-sterno-thoracotomy. Approximately one year after surgery, computed tomography angiography revealed a rare finding of a sternal wire embedded in the ascending aorta, posterior to the sternum. The patient was asymptomatic at the time of discovery. We present key imaging findings and describe the successful surgical re-intervention performed to remove the wire. This case highlights the critical importance of proper positioning and secure tightening of sternal wires during closure to prevent potentially serious complications in both cardiac and thoracic surgeries.

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