Pectus carinatum

Pigeon chest or chicken breast ( pectus carinatum Latin ) is characterized by a keel- shaped protrusion of the sternum, which rarely a medical, for those concerned, however, very well - especially in puberty - can be a psychologically stressful aesthetic problem.

Colloquially referred to a nonexistent expression of the pectoralis major muscle as well as " chicken breast ".

Cause

It is suspected as the cause of pectus carinatum is an overgrowth of cartilage in the ribs and thereby caused a protrusion of the sternum. An exact mode of inheritance is not known; a familial aggregation of different Brustwanddeformitäten but to watch. Here come in some families both deformities in the form of a keel as well as funnel chest. In both chest wall changes and asymmetric intermediates cartilage growth failure is likely.

Therapy

In some cases it may be sufficient to inform the patient or the child's parents about the harmlessness of the findings. In more pronounced degrees of further action by the possible impairment of self -esteem is dependent on: the absence of (subjective) problems, treatment is not appropriate.

Psychological care

Those patients in whom there are only minor changes and thus the cosmetic problem is in the foreground, a mental health care may possibly be recommended. This is also recommended if in very pronounced funnel chest and great suffering, the fear of surgery (yet) predominates.

Surgical treatment

In case of heavy mental stress ( and an objective finding) is shown a surgical correction. Here, a similar approach as in the funnel chest is chosen.

Either remove parts of the ribs and the sternum, or it is implanted by a nut metal bars in the surgical technique, which depresses the keel. Before summarizes such an operation in the eye, you should be thorough with the surgeon on the surgical procedure, complications may occur and inform the subsequent treatment. After the operation can be carried out a so-called follow-up treatment (AHB). The mobility and pulmonary function can thus be improved bonding reduced by scarring, pain and swelling can be reduced by physical measures.

Treatment by bandage

Here, a pad is strapped to the chest, which is to bring the breastbone back into the normal form. Thus, the sternum is pushed more or less depending on the setting.

With regular treatment, the treatment time, depending on the nature of pigeon chest, two years. This type of treatment should be initiated as early as possible, as this type of treatment, only during the growth shows effects.