| Bifurcated rib | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Bifurcated rib, sternum bifidum |
 | |
| Bifid rib at the right side seen on chest radiograph. The fourth rib splits in two towards the sternal end. | |
| Specialty | Medical genetics |
Abifid rib is acongenital abnormality of therib cage and associated muscles and nerves which occurs in about 1.2% of humans. Bifid ribs occur in up to 8.4% ofSamoans.[1] Thesternal end of the rib is cleaved into two. It is usuallyunilateral.[2]
Bifid ribs are usuallyasymptomatic, and are often discovered incidentally bychest X-ray. Effects of this neuroskeletal anomaly can includerespiratory difficulties,neurological difficulties, limitations, and limited energy from the stress of needing to compensate for theneurophysiological difficulties. An unstable bifid rib may lead toslipping rib syndrome.[3]
Another association is withodontogenic keratocysts of the jaw, which may behave aggressively and have a high propensity to recur when treated with simple enucleation and curettage. When seen together, the patient is likely to havenevoid basal-cell carcinoma syndrome (Gorlin-Goltz syndrome).
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