ABSTRACT
Pectus carinatum is an uncommon congenital anomaly. Surgical correction for the deformity is infrequently sought but is usually very rewarding. There are three types of the deformity, viz. chondrogladiolar, chondro-manubrial and the lateral variety, of which the latter is the most rare. We present a fifteen year girl who had pectus carinatum of the lateral variety involving the left second to the eighth costo-chondral junctions. The indication for surgical intervention was purely aesthetic. Subperichondrial excision of the lateral halves of the affected costal cartilages and shaving of the adjacent ribs was done. The post-operative recovery was uneventful and the deformity was corrected satisfactorily.
INTRODUCTION
Pectus carinatum, a congenital protrusion of the anterior chest wall, is an uncommon deformity. Surgical consultation is usually sought at adolescence when the patient becomes aware about its presence or due to related lung complications. Restoration of the chest wall contour by surgery is very rewarding. We present a 15 years girl who reported with such a deformity and underwent satisfactory correction at our centre.
CASE REPORT
A 15 year old girl presented with an abnormal protrusion involving the left side of her anterior chest-wall since birth. The deformity had been increasing for the past one year. She did not have any shortness of breath, recurrent respiratory tract infections or palpitations. Locally, there was a protrusion deformity involving the left side of her anterior chest wall in the parasternal region involving the second to eighth costal cartilages [Figures 1 and 2]. There Pectus carinatum, a congenital protrusion of the was no mediastinal shift clinically. There was no scoliosis anterior chest wall, is an uncommon deformity. or any other spinal deformity. Cardiovascular and Surgical consultation is usually sought at respiratory systems were normal. ECG was also normal. adolescence when the patient becomes aware about its Lateral view of the chest radiograph showed an abnormal presence or due to related lung complications. Restoration protrusion of the second to eighth costal cartilages in the of the chest wall contour by surgery is very rewarding. We parasternal region. A CT scan of the chest confirmed that present a 15 years girl who reported with such a deformity the deformity was involving the costal cartilages as well as and underwent satisfactory correction at our centre. the costochondral junctions [Figure 3].
The patient was planned for surgical correction. Through a midline sternal incision, a skin flap was raised on the lef side till the entire deformity was exposed. Sternal attachments of the pectoralis major muscle were erased to expose the second to eighth costochondral junctions. Perichondrium was incised on the mid-anterior surface and the cartilages were dissected subperichondrially. Lateral halves of the second to eighth costal cartilages were excised.
