Pectus Excavatum

[Tina]

Has anyone else here been diagnosed with Pectus Excavatum? When I became ill on June 8, 2008, I was diagnosed with pneumonia. I was treated, but then developed severe neurological and energy issues. Like everyone else here, I have had dozens of tests. Like many people here I am severely limited and I have only just gotten around to really analyzing all of my imaging studies.

I knew that I was diagnosed with pectus excavatum on a study in 2005 and it has been noted multiple times since. It has always been referred to as, "mild." However, on a 2014 high resolution ct scan it said, "Pectus excavatum with Haller Index measuring 3.6." This is the first and only time a measurement has been given.

Research says anything over a 3.25 is severe. Symptoms include, "decreased exercise tolerance, rapid heartbeat or palpitations, recurrent respiratory infections, chest pain, heart murmur, fatigue."

Hmmmm?

Why wouldn't anyone of my doctors mention this? Even if it is not the cause, it surely could be affecting my energy and contributing to exercise intolerance. I really don't understand doctors.

For the record no doctor has ever told me I had pectus excavatum, I only know it from reading my reports. Also, I cannot tell from looking at my chest that I have this.

P.S. PECTUS EXCAVATUM: Pectus excavatum, also known as sunken or funnel chest, is a congenital chest wall deformity in which several ribs and the sternum grow abnormally, producing a concave, or caved-in, appearance in the anterior chest wall

 

[ScottTriGuy]

For the record no doctor has ever told me I had pectus excavatum, I only know it from reading my reports.

I've never heard of pectus excavatum. The exercise intolerance is especially interesting.

But I have had the same experience - I have a whole whack of abnormal lab results and my doc has never mentioned them - I only know because I ordered a copy of my medical file.

 

[Rosie26]

A chest x-ray that I had done last year noted that I had mild sternal depression. I have had chest x-rays before and not been told that. Looking at my chest it doesn't look obvious to the eye. I don't know if this is something that I always have had or not.

From the bit of reading I have done it looks like a congenital abnormality. I'm not sure if it is something one can develop over time. Something I need to find out in case something is going on perhaps.

 

[Tina]

Rosie, my understanding is that it is congenital, but it can continue to get worse. I don't know if tha is only up until a certain age or not. You can definitely have it and not know it, as both of us have stated that our chests look normal. For many people they only know they have it from incidental findings on imaging studies. I have six (6) imaging studies between 2005 and 2015 that mention the Pectus Excavatum; 3 CT Scans, 2 X-Rays and one High Resolution CT Scan. They all say, "Pectus Excavatum Noted," or "Mild Pectus Excavatum," except for the High Resolution CT Scan. The High Resolution CT scan gives a specific measurement of Haller Index 3.6. Everything I have read says that anything above 3.25 is significant.

It may be nothing, what drives me crazy is that no doctor has ever even mentioned it to me.

 

[Rosie26]

It may be nothing, what drives me crazy is that no doctor has ever even mentioned it to me.

It bugs me a lot too. I ask for a print out of all my results now.

Thanks for mentioning the measurement index. I will remember that in future. I have never had a CT scan so don't know what the measurement was for my mild sternal depression.