Cough-Induced Rib Fracture in a Healthy Woman: A Case Report

Background: Only few cases of cough-induced rib fracture have been described in the medical literature.The impact of decreased bone mineral density (BMD) on traumatic rib fractures remains unknown.In this study, we presented a case of a healthy 41-year-old female patient who was detected to have cough-induced rib fracture during the evaluation of symptoms of chronic cough with pleuritic chest pain.The patient developed left sixth and ninth rib fractures, after severe coughing for three months secondary to upper respiratory tract infection.The patient was treated conservatively with good clinical outcome.Conservative treatment is the first-choice approach except in cases of complications when the surgical approach should be considered.Cough-induced rib fracture should be remembered as a possible diagnosis, as diagnostic delays increase the risk of complications.