[Anomalies of the chest (author's transl)].

Presentation of the most important deformities of the thorax, with reference to personal experience and reports from the literature. Next to deformities of the rib-cage, anomalies of the sternum have a prominent place. The principal anomalies of the sternum are the funnel chest and pigeon breast. Neither carries a clear indication for operation. Numerous operative techniques make a comparison of post-op. results difficult. It seems definite that the final results are the same, whether or not the procedure calls for the use of metal prostheses. The degree of success lies between 80-90%.