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Pectus carinatum and pectus excavatum: are they the same disease?

Eighty cases of anterior chest wall deformities were reviewed. The group consisted of 47 patients with pectus carinatum and 33 patients with pectus excavatum. This 1.4:1 distribution has not been reported in the literature, where a 1:10 distribution is regularly cited. Important bronchopulmonary changes were found by chest x-rays in both groups. Formerly, alterations in pectus excavatum were attributed to the mechanical effect of the depressed sternum. The presence of the same symptoms and bronchopulmonary radiographic changes in patients with pectus carinatum suggests a primary pulmonary defect in both entities. However, bronchopulmonary changes were more prominent in patients with pectus excavatum than in patients with carinatum, which suggests that mechanical compression enhances the problem. Postoperative radiologic improvement was similar in both groups. The patients underwent a surgical procedure that included a sternal osteotomy and a complete removal of the costal cartilages. All patients survived. There were two recurrences. Considerable postoperative overgrowth of the unresected second costal cartilages was observed, hence our recommendation for routine removal of these structures. The habitus of prominent abdomen and stooped shoulders was not modified by the operation, but important symptomatic improvement and some radiologic improvement were observed in both groups.