Beyond The Covid 19 Pandemic; Incidentally Diagnosed Rib Tumors, A Case Series

Abstract

Objective: The rapidly spreading and fatal infection caused by the virus called COVID-19, primarily damages to the upper and lower respiratory tract. Thoracic CT scans, which have become an important tool in the diagnosis of the disease, can reveal asymptomatic cases in various organs such as the lungs, the thoracic wall, the mediastinum and even the upper abdominal organs. On the other hand, rib tumors are quite rare; most are benign and are usually detected incidentally during radiological examinations performed for other reasons. In this article, we present for the first time in the literature six cases of rib tumors that were incidentally detected and operated on during the pandemic era.
Methods: A total of six patients, five female and one male, who underwent surgery with a diagnosis of rib tumor between March 2020 and October 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic were included in the study.
Results: None of them had obvious complaints suggesting rib pathology. 5 of 6 patients underwent en bloc partial rib resection with sufficient margins. No patient required prosthetic reconstruction, no malignant pathology was reported, and all patients were discharged within an average of 2.5 days.
Conclusion: While the COVID-19 pandemic has cost humanity over two years, causing the deaths of approximately 7.5 million people and disability for many more, incidental findings during screening may have contributed to earlier diagnosis and treatment. While most rib tumors are benign, they should be considered potentially malignant until proven otherwise and should be operated on according to surgical principles.