Various skeletal abnormalities, including chest deformity, have been reported with Turner's syndrome. We report radiologic findings of the sternum on lateral chest roentgenograms in 15 children and adolescents with Turner's syndrome, whose ages ranged between 2 weeks and 20 years. Eight had associated congenital heart disease (CHD). Twelve patients (80 percent) had various sternal abnormalities; 5 had short sternum, 3 had premature fusion of the manubrio-sternal junction, and 4 had premature fusion of the mesosternum. Five had decreased ratio of sternal body to manubrium. Three patients had two ossification centers of the manubrium. Four patients had bowing of the mesosternum; three of these had mild pectus excavatum also. In this series, children with and without CHD had similar sternal abnormalities. Although not pathognomonic, sternal abnormalities on a lateral chest roentgenogram are common skeletal abnormalities associated with Turner's syndrome and are independent of associated CHD. In our series of 15 patients, 10 had monosomy (45,X) on blood karyotype; 7 of them had associated CHD. This is the first systematic analysis of radiologic abnormalities of the sternum in Turner's syndrome and includes findings not previously reported.

Currarino-Silverman syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by premature fusion of manubrio-sternal joint and the sternal segments, resulting in a high carinate chest deformity; it is frequently associated with congenital heart disease. Among the various heart lesions reported in this syndrome, mitral valve disease and coarctation of the aorta have not yet been described (to our knowledge). Our report consists of five children with this syndrome, four of whom had mitral valve disease, with an associated coarctation of the aorta in one patient. The fifth patient had an innocent heart murmur.