Lung function declines as chest deformity deepens

August 18, 2011 in Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

A common deformity that cases a depression in the chest wall inhibits lung function as the cavity grows deeper, a national study of 327 patients published in the Journal of Pediatrics found.

"These results confirm what we have observed anecdotally, that children with more severe pectus excavatum report more incidents of and a higher degree of exercise intolerance," said one of the study's lead authors, Dr. Robert Kelly, a at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia.

Pectus excavatum, a condition sometimes known as sunken chest, occurs when the chest cartilage grows abnormally and the chest wall progressively collapses. A CHKD surgeon, Dr. Donald Nuss, developed a minimally to correct the condition 25 years ago, and the hospital has remained at the forefront of treatment and research on chest wall deformities ever since.

The study on included 327 pre-correction pectus excavatum patients ages 6 to 21 from hospitals around the nation, including CHKD. The study used standardized medical measurements to determine the severity of the pectus excavatum and a spirometer, a device that measures the volume of air expelled from the lungs, to assess lung function.

"The results suggest a correlation between the severity of pectus excavatum and lung function," said Dr. Kelly. "The more severe the deformity, the more lung function was compromised." He noted that the effect was primarily from lung restriction, not airway obstruction.

While the decline is relatively modest, Dr. Kelly believes researchers next need to study lung function in pectus excavatum patients at the larger tidal volumes required during exercise.

Provided by Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters

not rated yet  

Rank not rated yet
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

WHO: Scientific red tape mars efforts vs. virus

International efforts to combat a new pneumonia-like virus that has now killed 22 people are being slowed by unclear rules and competition for the potentially profitable rights to disease samples, the head ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 8 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Shortage of key drug hampering U.S. efforts to control TB, report says

(HealthDay)—A shortage of a critical tuberculosis drug has hampered the efforts of health departments across the United States to contain the spread of the highly infectious lung disease, federal officials ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 9 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Heart healthy lifestyle may cut kidney disease patients' risk of kidney failure

Maintaining a heart healthy lifestyle may also help protect chronic kidney disease patients from developing kidney failure and dying prematurely, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the Am ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 9 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Flu vaccine also linked to narcolepsy in adults, study reports

Finnish researchers unveiled new data Thursday to link the Pandemrix flu vaccine to a higher risk of the sleeping disorder narcolepsy in adults.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 10 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Second child contracts polio in Pakistan's Waziristan

A second child has contracted polio in a restive Pakistani tribal region near the Afghan border after the Taliban banned vaccinations there nearly a year ago, a UN official said Thursday.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 10 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Controlling mood through the motions of mitochondria

(Medical Xpress)—Regulating the distribution of power in neurons is done by a system that makes the national electric grid look simple by comparison. Each neuron has several thousand mitochondria confined ...

Motion quotient: IQ predicted by ability to filter motion (w/ video)

A brief visual task can predict IQ, according to a new study. This surprisingly simple exercise measures the brain's unconscious ability to filter out visual movement. The study shows that individuals whose ...

Multiple research teams unable to confirm high-profile Alzheimer's study

Teams of highly respected Alzheimer's researchers failed to replicate what appeared to be breakthrough results for the treatment of this brain disease when they were published last year in the journal Science.

Scientists discover molecule triggers sensation of itch

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health report they have discovered in mouse studies that a small molecule released in the spinal cord triggers a process that is later experienced in the brain as ...

Researchers find common childhood asthma unconnected to allergens or inflammation

Little is known about why asthma develops, how it constricts the airway or why response to treatments varies between patients. Now, a team of researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College, Columbia University Medical Center ...

Diabetes' genetic underpinnings can vary based on ethnic background, studies say

Ethnic background plays a surprisingly large role in how diabetes develops on a cellular level, according to two new studies led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.