Chest wall deformities.

Children present with chest wall deformities to their pediatrician because of physiologic and psychologic causes. We have a 22-year experience in the operative management of more than 300 of these children. Initial evaluation should accurately categorize the deformity, determine the severity, assess for associated problems and refer the child at an appropriate time for further management. Pectus carinatum is the most common deformity that can cause physical pain from an intercostal neuropathy and psychologic pain from the unsightly protuberance. Poland syndrome is managed by early correction of the hand deformity and later correction of the chest wall deformity if necessary for psychologic or functional reasons. Jeune syndrome and failure of sternal fusion may have severe associated cardiopulmonary compromise. Each should be corrected in infancy for the best results.