Pectus Excavatum

Pectus excavatum or Funnel chest is an abnormal formation of the rib cage where the chest appears to be caved in or has a sunken appearance. Pectus excavatum may be present at birth that can be severe or mild.Pectus excavatum is caused by the excessive growth of the connective tissue that is responsible for joining the ribs to the breastbone. Thus the sternum turns inward and the child gets a depression in the center of his chest over the sternum. This depression may be quite deep. Severe pectus excavatum may affect heart and lung thus making it difficult to carry out simple activities. It may also cause psychological difficulty to the affected person.