Cervical Rib-A Radiological Study In Indian Population

Abstract

Background: Cervical rib is an extra rib present in neck in 1-2% of population. It is usually unilateral and in some cases bi-lateral .To determine if a cervical rib is present requires an X-ray Knowledge of clinical appearance & radiographic character-istics of cervical rib would enable differential diagnosis in and around this area with aim of easier orientation and faster arri-val at final diagnosis. In this study the focus is on different types of cervical rib radiographs which has been collected from department of radiology. Material and Methods: 100 Chest x-rays with apical lordotic views and cervical spine were obtained from Department of Radiology. Complete and incomplete cervical ribs were observed in the study. Results: Frequency of Cervical ribs in our study matched with the findings of general population. Conclusion: Cervical rib may be an incidental finding in a small percentage of normal people. It is not necessary for this to cause any symptoms however an occasional patient may have symptoms pertaining to this. Keywords: Cervical rib,Thoracic outlet syndrome, Brachial plexus