Anatomical variations and congenital anomalies of the ribs revisited by multidetector computed tomography

As they are asymptomatic or have a nonspecific, anatomical variations of the ribs are usually detected as incidental findings on imaging studies. They may be isolated changes or can be related to anomalies or clinical syndromes. Such variations are easily overlooked on conventional radiography and computed tomography if they are not actively investigated, mainly because most indications for a chest X-ray studies aim to evaluate the lung parenchyma and mediastinal structures. The objective of this pictorial essay was to use multislice computed tomography images to illustrate the imaging aspects of the main anatomical variations and congenital anomalies of the ribs.