Pectus excavatum and cardiac dysfunction: a case report with pre- and post-operative haemodynamic studies.
A 48-year-old man with severe pectus excavatum presented with incapacitating supraventricular tachycardia, paroxysmal in nature and invariably provoked by exercise. During mild supine leg exercise on a bicycle ergometer an abnormal increase in right heart pressures, particularly in the right atrium, was observed, followed immediately by supraventricular tachycardia. The latter was also shown during upright exercise on a treadmill. Operative correction of the deformity led to complete relief from the dysrhythmia and a normal haemodynamic response on exercise. The pre- and post-operative studies lend support to the conclusion that the sternal depression was the most likely cause of the cardiac abnormality.
D005080:Exercise Test; D005660:Funnel Chest / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013614:Tachycardia, Paroxysmal / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology