title: An interesting case of straight back syndrome and review of the literature.
abstract: Straight back syndrome is characterized by loss of the normal upper thoracic kyphosis, leading to a reduced anteroposterior diameter and squashing of the heart. Most patients are asymptomatic; if symptomatic, chest pain and palpitations are most common. On examination, the abnormal clinical findings simulate organic heart disease that needs to be ruled out by echocardiography and cardiac catheterization. A lateral chest radiograph is diagnostic. This condition is commonly associated with mitral valve prolapse and bicuspid aortic valve. We describe an interesting case of straight back syndrome with all the classic and rarely reported clinical findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, G Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial Hospital, Coimbatore, India.
authors.forename: Pavan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Soleti
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, G Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial Hospital, Coimbatore, India bivwilson@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bivin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, G Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial Hospital, Coimbatore, India.
authors.forename: Arani Rajabathar
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Vijayakumar
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, G Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial Hospital, Coimbatore, India.
authors.forename: Paulraj Ignatius Sudhakar
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Chakravarthi
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, G Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial Hospital, Coimbatore, India.
authors.forename: Chilakala Gopinath
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Reddy
mesh_terms: D002637:Chest Pain / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006337:Heart Murmurs; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008945:Mitral Valve Prolapse / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011859:Radiography; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D013577:Syndrome; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Heart murmurs; Mitral valve prolapse; Straight back; Thoracic vertebrae