What is pectus excavatum?
Pectus excavatum (PE) is an abnormal development of the rib cage
where the breastbone (sternum) caves in, resulting in a sunken
chest wall deformity. Sometimes referred to as "funnel chest,"
pectus excavatum is a deformity often present at birth (congenital)
that can be mild or severe.
What causes pectus excavatum?
The cause of pectus excavatum is not well understood. Yet,
researchers believe that the deformity is caused by excessive
growth of the connective tissue (cartilage) that joins the ribs to
the breastbone (also known as the costochondral region), which
causes an inward defect of the sternum.
While the vast majority of pectus excavatum
cases are not associated with any other condition, some disorders
may include the sunken chest feature of pectus excavatum,
including:
Marfan syndrome: A connective tissue
disorder, which causes skeletal defects typically recognized by
long limbs and 'spider-like' fingers, chest
abnormalities, curvature of the spine and certain facial features
including a highly arched palate, and crowded teeth.
Rickets: A deficiency disease
occurring primarily in children, Rickets results from a lack of
vitamin D or calcium and from insufficient exposure to sunlight,
which disturbs normal bone growth.
Scoliosis: A curvature of the
spine.
What are the symptoms of pectus
excavatum?
Most patients do not have symptoms, though a minority of patients
may have the following symptoms:
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Fast heart rate (tachycardia)
Who is affected by pectus excavatum?
Pectus excavatum is a fairly common congenital deformity that
accounts for approximately 90 percent of congenital wall
deformities. Approximately 40 percent of pectus excavatum patients
have one or more family members with the same defect.
Pectus excavatum occurs more often in men than
women, appearing in 1 per every 300 to 400 white male births.
Is pectus excavatum serious?
Pectus excavatum is not preventable, but the condition is
treatable. In rare cases if the condition is left untreated, pectus
excavatum can cause compression of the heart and lungs.
In addition to pectus excavatum causing an
unattractive appearance of the chest wall, the condition can also
force the heart into the left chest to varying degrees, depending
on the severity of the defect.
Contact your doctor if the following symptoms
occur:
- Trouble breathing
- Decreased exercise tolerance
- Chest pain
How is pectus excavatum diagnosed?
Before pectus excavatum can be properly treated, it must first be
properly diagnosed. Your doctor and other specialists, including a
thoracic surgeon and pulmonologist, will perform a complete
physical exam and comprehensive blood tests to confirm the
diagnosis.