Sternoclavicular joint swelling after surgery of the head and neck region: A case report and differential diagnostic review

Background: Very few published reports in the otolaryngologic literature discuss sternoclavicular joint swelling encountered in the postoperative setting. Methods: The authors document a case of sternoclavicular joint swelling after medialization laryngoplasty. This report is supplemented with a review of the medical literature related to pertinent conditions affecting the sternoclavicular joint. Conclusions: In our patient, swelling was thought to be related to joint trauma experienced during surgery secondary to standard shoulder roll extension in a patient with preexisting postmenopausal arthritis. This case stands in contrast to the body of documented cases of postoperative sternoclavicular swelling in which the surgical procedure itself was responsible for such findings.