我們發表的是一位前胸痛的34歲男性，原來懷疑病灶在肋骨或是肋軟骨上，在做鎝-99m-medronate加上SPECT後，發現在胸骨體上有一個界線清楚的圓形區域放射活性減低，懷疑是蝕骨性的病灶或是解剖上的變異，而X光及電腦斷層也都顯示在胸骨體有一個大的骨質缺損的區域。為了避免誤診為蝕骨性的病灶，對於這類的解剖變異要跟臨床醫師提及胸骨孔的可能性，因為對該處搓揉，施行切片檢查或針炙可能會導致重大的心臟副作用。

　　　　　We present a 34-year-old man with pain at the level of the anterior chest walt. A lesion of the rib or rib cartilage was initially suspected. Bone scintigraphy using 99roTc-medronate was performed including single photon emission tomography (SPET). A well-delineated round-ed area devoid of radioactivity was evident at the level of the sternal body. The possibility of an osteolytic lesion or an anatomic variation was considered and radiographs and X-ray computed tomography (CT) images of the involved region were performed. Radiography and CT confirmed the presence of a large bony defect at the level of the sternal body. Knowledge of the existence of such anatomic variants is important to avoid misdiagnosis as an osteolytic process. The possibility of a sternal foramen should be mentioned to the clinician because infiltration, biopsy or acupuncture of this area may lead to fatal cardiac complications.