Pectus carinatum

Abstract

Pectus carinatum or keel chest is a spectrum of progressive inborn anomalies of the anterior chest wall, named after the keel (carina) of ancient Roman ships. It defines a wide spectrum of inborn protrusion anomalies of the sternum and/or the adjacent costal cartilages. Pectus carinatum is often associated with various conditions, notably Marfan disease, homocystinuria, prune belly, Morquio syndrome, osteogenesis imperfecta, Noonan syndrome, and mitral valve prolapse. Treatment of pectus carinatum by nonsurgical methods such as exercise and casting has not been worthwhile, whereas surgical management is simple and successful.