Occurrence of signs and symptoms of pectus excavatum (PE) in seniors

Pectus Excavatum (PE) is frequently seen during physical examination or noticed on chest X-rays. It is not considered to be clinically significant. It is, however, envisioned that PE can cause symptoms like dyspnoea, palpitations or fatigue in elderly patients. PE may therefore be not as harmless as it seems.
Prevalence of PE is at least 1 in 1000 patients, but the prevalence of symptomatic PE in seniors (SPES) is unknown. This observational study tries to assess how often symptoms occur in patients in whom a PE was identified and to what extent the PE may be held responsible for these symptoms, in the presence or absence of another explanation or cause.
In this observational study, we included all patients over 55 years in whom a PE was diagnosed in a chest X-ray in the three years before the start of the study. Except for an age under 55 there were no exclusion criteria. Of all included patients, medical records from the participating hospitals and from the general practitioners in the study regions were checked for evidence concerning symptoms related to SPES and the existence of (co)morbidity.

Pectus excavatum may not be as harmless as generally assumed and may lead to symptoms like dyspnea or fatigue after exercise

Chest X-ray results from the period 2005 until 2008 and relevant signs/symptoms in the same period

Observational study, therefore no intervention