[Cardiac symptoms due to pectus excavatum in a man over the age of 55].
A healthy 59-year-old man, a retired general practitioner, suffered from increasing palpitations, fatigue and postural dyspnoea: bending over led to a significant increase in his shortness of breath. Cardiological and pulmonological examination, performed at regular intervals, showed occasional supraventricular arrhythmia and nodal tachycardia but did not yield a satisfactory explanation for the symptoms. In the years that followed, the physical impairment became a considerable handicap. Finally, the patient himself suggested a possible explanation on the basis of an Internet search: his pectus excavatum. A literature search confirmed this hypothesis. A lateral chest X-ray in bending position and a CT-scan of the chest revealed compression of the heart by the sternum. Ten years after the onset of symptoms, a modified Ravitch operation finally brought nearly complete recovery.
Guldemond
F I
FI
frank.guldemond@hag.unimaas.nl
Höppener
P F H M
PF
Kragten
J A
JA
van Leeuwen
Y D
YD
Siebenga
J
J
D005660:Funnel Chest / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome