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Pectus excavatum (funnel chest): a historical and current prospective

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Abstract

Pectus excavatum (PE) is a relatively common deformity involving the anterior chest wall. It is represented clinically as a conical depression of the sternum and costal cartilages with the apex at the xiphoid process. Associated features and symptoms vary but generally involve respiratory and cardiac abnormalities. Since it’s initial description, numerous surgical techniques have been developed to correct PE, with the Ravtich (open) and Nuss (minimally invasive) procedures being the most commonly employed. Although the etiology remains unclear, the pathogenesis of PE is currently thought to involve the overgrowth of the costochondral region of the ribs. In addition, documented case reports of familial pectus excavatum exist, suggesting a heritable form of the defect. Numerous genetic markers have also been discovered, linking PE to various genetic syndromes.

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All authors declare that there are no financial associations and no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies

    Chase Dean, Denzil Etienne & Marios Loukas

  2. Department of Radiology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

    David Hindson

  3. Department of Anatomy, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania

    Petru Matusz

  4. Pediatric Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital, Birmingham, AL, USA

    R. Shane Tubbs

  5. Department of Anatomy, Varmia and Mazuria University, Olsztyn, Poland

    Marios Loukas

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  1. Chase Dean
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  2. Denzil Etienne
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Correspondence to Marios Loukas.

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Dean, C., Etienne, D., Hindson, D. et al. Pectus excavatum (funnel chest): a historical and current prospective. Surg Radiol Anat 34, 573–579 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-012-0938-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-012-0938-7

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