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Pectus ExcavatumAka: Funnel Breast, Trichterbrust

Epidemiology
1. Incidence: 0.5 to 2%
2. Gender predominance: Boys (3:1 ratio)
Causes
1. Rickets
2. Scurvy
3. Marfan's Syndrome
4. Occupationally acquired
  1. Example: Cobbler's Chest (shoe pressed against chest)
Associated Conditions
1. Scoliosis
2. Congenital Heart Disease
3. Severe childhood Asthma
Pathophysiology
1. Deformed lower costal cartilages
2. Results in retraction of chest wall toward spine
  1. Inferior sternum
  2. Xiphoid process
Signs
1. Opposite of Pectus Carinatum
2. Mild: Oval pit near infrasternal notch
3. Severe: Sinking of entire lower sternum
Complications
1. Restrictive lung disease in severe cases
References
1. Degowin (1987) Bedside Exam, Macmillan, p. 274
2. Murray and Nadel (2000) Respiratory Medicine, p. 2364-6

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This page was written by Scott Moses, MD. This page was last revised on 4/26/2008 9:17:32 PM. This page was last published on 4/29/2008. Please send comments and questions to the editor. Contact information may be found on the page About the Family Practice Notebook. These pages are best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0.