The new steel bar in pectus carinatum repair and a review of current methods of correcting chest deformations

[摘要] In their paper, Zhang and colleagues described the favorable results of correcting the pectus carinatum (PC) after using the new steel bar in the anti-Nuss procedure (1). Pectus excavatum (PE) and PC are the most common chest wall deformities accounting for more than 95% of all chest wall defects in humans (2,3). PE affects 0.1% of all live births, while PC is less common and occurs in 0.06% (2,3). The precise etiology of both deformities remains unclear. The main hypotheses are developmental disorder, costal cartilage overgrowth, or genetic predispositions (2). Moreover, PC may frequently accompany certain diseases, such as Marfan disease, homocystinuria, osteogenesis imperfecta, Noonan syndrome, or mitral valve prolapse (4). A decreased quality of life characterizes patients with either PE or PC in their mental and physical areas (5). Although some PE patients are asymptomatic, others may complain of physical disorders (dyspnoea, chest pain, and palpitations) or psychosocial symptoms (body image concerns and depression) (5-7). Patients with PC mainly suffer from cosmetic issues, resulting in a reduced selfimage and a lower quality of life than patients without this deformity (5). Both cosmetic and functional impairments are indications for surgical correction (5-7).

[学科分类] 呼吸医学