Guest guest Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 Dear Elinor, About the pectus excavatum, are you going to request he have surgery? My son, 16, has this also and it is very noticeable. Have you had any doc's opinions on this? In the spring we are going to go to the MDA to get another opinion. Thanks Heidi mother of 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 Dear Heidi, His pectus excavatum is very minor, so we never considered surgery. His pediatrician sent him to a pediatric cardiologist to see if he had Marfan's because he was taller than us and thin, but this was before my husband's diagnosis, so no one associated it with CMT. He is no longer thin, having gained too much in college, and his chest hair covers the pectus. His calves are well defined and his arches normal. Elinor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 Ok, pardon my ignorance but what is a pectus excavatum? ************************************** http://www.pectusdeformity.com/ The defect known as pectus excavatum, or funnel chest, and pectus carinatum, know as pigeon breast, are congenital anomalies of the anterior chest wall. The excavatum defect is characterized by a deep depression of the sternum, usually involving the lower half or two thirds of the sternum, with the most recessed or deepest area at the junction of the chest and the abdomen. The lower 4-6 costal or rib cartilages, dip backward abnormally to increase the deformity or depression and push the sternum posterior or backward toward the spine. Also, in many of these deformities, the sternum is asymmetric or it courses to the right or left in this depression. In most instances, the depression is on the right side. Also, because of the pressure of the sternum and cartilages, the abdomen looks like a " potbelly " . The entire defect also pushes the midline structures so that the lungs are compressed from side to side and the heart (right ventricle) is compressed and displaced. The pectus excavatum defect is found in somewhere between 1 in every 500-1000 children. It does occur in families and thus, is inherited in many instances. Other problems, especially in the muscle and skeletal system, also may accompany this defect. In approximately 1/5 of the patients, scoliosis is present. The defect is seen shortly after birth and then progresses to its maximum after the growth period in adolescence. The regression or any improvement in this defect rarely occurs because of the fixation of the cartilages and the ligaments. When one takes a deep breath or inspires, the defect is usually accentuated. More at website Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 Hi Elinor, Thanks for your input. We will definitely look more into his PE. I hope the MDA will have some answers. It is a process with CMT - all the doc's appointments and waiting for answers for this and that. My son has gone through two major hip surgeries one at 3 1/2 and one at 9. So far so good--does not need that again. It is stressful to the family the surgeries--especially leaving the other children at home while we go through the surgery. I empathasize with all that have been through this. Again, thanks. Heidi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.