Medical Marvel: Sternal Foramen

Image courtesy of Radiology Picture of the Day

I suppose a sternal foramen isn't so impressive, but I found the accompanying blurb to be funny:

A sternal foramen is a round or ovoid congenital bony defect that results from incomplete fusion of the sternal ossification centres. The estimated prevalence is 4.5%. It is typically asymptomatic and of no clinical significance, except in the setting of sternal acupuncture due to the risk of pericardial puncture and tamponade. There have been two such reported cases in the literature, one of them fatal.

Oh the accupuncturists! I feel bad for them. Can you imagine how they felt after learning what happened?


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