Funnel chest (medically termed pectus excavatum) is considered to be a rather common congenital disease, seen in 1 in 1,000 live births. In the United States, 1 in 300 Caucasian children is diagnosed with a funnel chest [1] [2]. A significant predilection toward male gender has been reported, with the male-to-female ratio ranging from 2:1 to even 9:1 [2] [3]. Pectus excavatum rarely causes symptoms in childhood and infancy (which is why physicians often inform parents that there is no reason for concern and that the problem is cosmetic in nature only). But many reports have illustrated the importance of this condition in the pathogenesis of debilitating cardiopulmonary symptoms [1] [2] [4] [5] [6]. The reason why symptoms do not appear until adulthood, however, is unexplained as yet. The most probable theory suggests the loss of chest wall elasticity in adulthood, which leads to reduced compliance and direct compression of the depressed sternum on the cardiac structures, specifically the right ventricle [2]. As a result, previously healthy patients may complain of dyspnea, shortness of breath, palpitations (particularly after exercise), persistent fatigue and asthma-like symptoms [1] [3] [6] [7]. If the diagnosis is not made, prolonged compression of the chest can cause reduced lung volume, cardiac compression and valvular heart disease (mitral regurgitation or prolapse of the mitral valve) [2] [7]. Funnel chest is often associated with scoliosis (in about 15% of cases), while connective tissue disorders, such as Marfan syndrome and Ehlers Danlos syndrome may also be associated with it [2] [6] [8].

• Heart Murmur

  Other notable findings include a pot-belly posture, forward-drifted shoulders, a heart murmur on cardiac auscultation and arrhythmia in severe cases. [symptoma.com]

  In moderate and severe cases, the sunken breastbone can press on the heart or lungs, causing: Shortness of breath during exercise Rapid heartbeat or palpitations Wheezing or coughing Chest and back pain Heart murmur Decreased stamina/increased fatigue [uchicagomedicine.org]

  Many have heart murmurs and breathe noisily during sleep. Called also funnel breast or chest and koilosternia. Copyright 2007. An Elsevier publication. All rights reserved. [web.archive.org]

  Some common symptoms may include: lower tolerance of exercise palpitations or a fast heartbeat recurring respiratory infections coughing or wheezing chest pain heart murmur fatigue and tiredness The precise cause of pectus excavatum is not yet known, [leading-medicine-guide.com]

  Out of 90 patients who had heart murmurs before the surgery, 74 improved so much that the murmurs could no longer be heard. [webmd.com]

• Systolic Murmur

  In one series, systolic murmurs were auscultated in 46% of cases not associated with an underlying connective tissue disorder. [5] The prevalence of murmurs was independent of the degree of deformity in this study. [medscape.com]

  murmur is heard in about half of the patients due to compression of the right ventricle by the chest wall [17, 22]. [sages.org]

• Osteophyte

  Kondrashin, distinguish following forms in funnel-shaped deformation of sternum - flat, sternum with a hook and sternum with osteophytes. [iliveok.com]

• Disfiguring Scar

  We suggested that disfiguring scars with keloid formation cause less psychological distress than persistent congenital malformation of the chest. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• Negativism

  Especially indicators grow with age, adversely affecting development and growth of child; apathy, shyness and alienation in relationships with peers, negativism and indifference in relation to parents. [iliveok.com]

• Mental Distress

  Considering the difficulty of hiding the chest-wall protrusion beneath one’s clothing, as it remains visible even when loose attire is worn, PC patients seem to be at risk for increased mental distress [1]. [academic.oup.com]

The initial diagnosis of a funnel chest is made during a physical examination as early as infancy when inspection and palpation of the chest wall confirms a cup-shaped concavity in the sternum [1] [2]. The concavity is well defined, deep and more prominently involves the lower portion of the sternal bone [1] [2]. Depression of 4th-7th costal cartilages can be observed in a significant number of individuals, in which case the concavity might be broader [2]. Other notable findings include a pot-belly posture, forward-drifted shoulders, a heart murmur on cardiac auscultation and arrhythmia in severe cases [1] [2]. On the other hand, when previously healthy patients describe cardiopulmonary signs and symptoms during history taking, an earlier finding of a funnel chest must raise clinical suspicion toward this disorder as the underlying cause. Family history, an integral part of the patient interview, is also an important feature, as up to 43% of pectus excavatum cases have a positive family history for the condition [1]. Imaging studies, however, are the gold standard in confirming congenital abnormalities of the chest wall, and either computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used [2] [3] [8], which both show the abnormal site of the sternum and its compression of the heart. Pulmonary function tests, electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography (either transthoracic or transesophageal) are recommended during workup, in order to assess the function and structure of the heart.

• Pulmonary Infiltrate

  This sign is due to compression of the lungs by the bent costal cartilages of the pectus and should not be interpreted as evidence of pulmonary infiltrate. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

1. Brochhausen C, Turial S, Müller FKP, et al. Pectus excavatum: history, hypotheses and treatment options. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2012;14(6):801-806.
2. Jaroszewski D, Notrica D, McMahon L, Steidley DE, Deschamps C. Current management of pectus excavatum: a review and update of therapy and treatment recommendations. J Am Board Fam Med. 2010;23(2):230-239.
3. Robbins LP. Pectus excavatum. Radiol Case Rep 2011;6(1):460
4. Kelly RE Jr. Pecus excavatum: historical background, clinical picture, preoperative evaluation and criteria for operation. Semin Pediatr Surg. 2008;17(3):181-193.
5. Tocchioni F, Ghionzoli M, Messineo A, Romagnoli P. Pectus Excavatum and Heritable Disorders of the Connective Tissue. Pediatr Rep. 2013;5(3):e15.
6. Winkens R, Guldemond F, Hoppener P, Kragten H, van Leeuwen Y. Pectus excavatum, not always as harmless as it seems. BMJ Case Rep. 2009;2009:bcr10.2009.2329.
7. Harris C, Croce B, Cao C. Pectus excavatum. Annals of Cardiothoracic Surgery. 2016;5(5):528.
8. Oncel M, Sunam GS, Tezcan B, Gurol Akyol K, Dereli Y. Clinical experience of repair of pectus excavatum and carinatum deformities. Cardiovascular Journal of Africa. 2013;24(8):318-321.