[About an exceptional case of congenital sternal fissure: Eugene Groux (1859)].

The congenital sternal fissure of Eugene Groux is outstanding in every respect: at first, it constitutes a sole case in history of medicine, for this fissure was complete (from the manubrium to the xiphoid process). Secondly, it was an object of medical examinations for over 2000 physicians all around the world. Thirdly, the patient himself wrote a monograph devoted to his malformation (1859). We analyze in this paper the monograph of Eugene Groux, as well as the anatomicomedical conclusions which followed this exceptional case.