PECTUS EXCAVATUM

Course overview

APPROXIMATELY 95 PERCENT OF CONGENITAL CHEST WALL ANOMALIES ARE ATTRIBUTED TO PECTUS DEFORMITIES, WITH PECTUS EXCAVATUM BEING THE MOST COMMON. PECTUS EXCAVATUM IS CHARACTERIZED BY A DEPRESSION OF THE ANTERIOR CHEST WALL RESULTING IN A "FUNNEL CHEST". WHILE THE DEFECT INVOLVES THE THIRD TO SEVENTH COSTOCARTILAGES OR RIBS, THE MOST SEVERE ASPECT OF THE DEFORMITY OCCURS IN THE AREA OF THE XIPHISTERNUM. ALTHOUGH THE DEFORMITY MAY BE SYMMETRICAL, IT IS MORE COMMONLY ASYMMETRICAL AND MAY INVOLVE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE THORAX. A PECTUS DEFOMITY MAY BE APPRECIATED IN AN INFANT AT BIRTH OR DEVELOP IT LATER DURING CHILDHOOD. THIS ACTIVITY EXAMINES THE DIFFERENTIAL OF PECTUS EXCAVATUM AND HOW TO PROPERLY EVALUATE A PATIENT WITH PECTUS EXCAVATUM, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.