Pectus excavatum

Alternative names:

funnel chest

Definition:

The descriptive term for an abnormal formation of the rib cage where the distance from the breastbone (sternum) to the backbone (vertebrae) is decreased, resulting in a caved-in or sunken chest appearance.

Considerations:

Pectus excavatum is a congenital abnormality that can be mild or fairly marked. The child typically has a hollow in the center of the chest over the sternum, and this may appear quite deep. It is caused by excessive growth of the costosternal cartilage (the connective tissue joining the ribs to the breastbone), with resulting inward deformity of the sternum.

Because of its cosmetic appearance, a pectus excavatum may produce psychological problems in an individual.

Pectus excavatum may occur as the only abnormality, or in association with other syndromes.

Common causes:

• congenital pectus excavatum (present at birth)
• rickets
• Turner's syndrome (X0)
• Noonan syndrome
• Marfan's syndrome
• Aarskog syndrome
• Homocystinuria
• osteogenesis imperfecta
• multiple lentigines syndrome

Note: There may be other causes of pectus excavatum. This list is not all inclusive, and the causes are not presented in order of likelihood. The causes of this symptom can include unlikely diseases and medications. Furthermore, the causes may vary based on age and gender of the affected person, as well as on the specific characteristics of the symptom such as time course, aggravating factors, relieving factors, and associated complaints. Use the Symptom Analysis option to explore the possible explanations for pectus excavatum, occurring alone or in combination with other problems.