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It is known as “pectus excavatum” or "sunken chest" when the sternum (the bone in the middle of the chest) is sunken.
There is a higher prevalence in men and is usually present from birth.
It is an aesthetic abnormality that is usually asymptomatic.
It is diagnosed through a physical examination. As well as examining the chest, an X-ray helps to identify any displacement of the heart or lungs.
In mild cases, a vacuum bell can be applied daily to favour the correction of the sunken thorax. Surgery may be indicated for more severe cases, either for aesthetic reasons or to prevent underdevelopment of the lungs and heart.
- Oscar H Mayer, MD. Pectus excavatum: Etiology and evaluation. UpToDate. Dec17, 2015.
- Park CH, Kim TH, Haam SJ, Lee S. Rib overgrowth may be a contributing factor for pectus excavatum: Evaluation of prepubertal patients younger than 10years old. J Pediatr Surg 2015; 50:1945.
- Chao CJ, Jaroszewski DE, Kumar PN, et al. Surgical repair of pectus excavatum relieves right heart chamber compression and improves cardiac output in adult patients--an intraoperative transesophageal echocardiographic study. Am J Surg 2015; 210:1118.
- Oscar H Mayer, MD. Pectus excavatum: Treatment. UpToDate. Aug 29, 2016.
- Lopez M, Patoir A, Costes F, et al. Preliminary study of efficacy of cup suction in the correction of typical pectus excavatum. J Pediatr Surg 2016; 51:183.
Dr. Sara Vitoria
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