Pectus Excavatum With Inferior Ischemia in Right Lateral Position

Pectus excavatum

Pectus excavatum occurs in approximately 1 in 400 live births. The chest defect becomes progressively worse with growth and in the teenage years can become disabling. Although considered cosmetic, and it is most certainly cosmetic, there are also well documented physiological changes such as decreased effort tolerance and cardiac arrhythmias. The young patients become used to the che t disabili...

Pectus excavatum

In pectus excavatum, a developmental chest-wall deformity that affects approximately one in 400 births, the sternum is depressed inward and the ribs protrude anteriorly. This deformity can compromise pulmonary and/or cardiac function. It can also produce a characteristic radiographic appearance on frontal radiographs, which may be mistaken for right-middle-lobe opacification from pneumonia or a...

Pectus excavatum.

Right Ventricular Compression Observed in Echocardiography from Pectus Excavatum Deformity

Pectus excavatum exists as varying anatomic deformities and compression of the right heart by the chest wall can lead to patient symptoms including dyspnea and chest pain with exertion. Echocardiography can be difficult but is critical to the evaluation and diagnosis of this patient population. Modifying standard views such as biplane transthoracic and 3-D transesophageal views may be necessary...

A case of right ventricular dysfunction caused by pectus excavatum.

Pectus excavatum compresses the underlying right side of the heart, which might lead to right ventricular dysfunction as illustrated in this case report.