Comparison of Physical and Psychosocial Characteristics of Pectus Excavatum and Carinatum Patients With Healthy Controls
Comparison of Physical and Psychosocial Characteristics of Pectus Excavatum and Carinatum Patients With Healthy Controls
Chest wall deformities are the development of ribs, cartilage and sternum that form the chest wall together with isolated or abnormalities of the musculoskeletal system. Pectus excavatum and carinatum deformities are most common. It is reported that individuals with this problem have posture and physical impairments, difficulty in psychosocial relations and decreased quality of life.Therefore, in this study, the investigators aimed to evaluated the physical and psychosocial characteristics of patients with pectus excavatum and carinatum compared with healthy controls.
Pectus excavatum (PE) and pectus carinatum (PC) are the most common anterior chest-wall deformities. Both of these malformations predominantly affect males. They often coincide with the vulnerable life phase of puberty, a period characterized by great physical, social, and emotional changes. Outer appearance becomes a major issue for adolescents, and those who display a visible disfigurement may be put at a disadvantage, having to come to terms with a difference in their looks and having to face the risk of harassment by their peers. Patients with pectus deformities often experience feelings of shame and try to hide their chests. This can be reflected in the choice of clothing or poor body posture. Many patients even avoid social activities and sports. They are aware of the fact that their deformity is generally not considered attractive, and some regard it as an obstacle in future relationships. Reduced self-confidence and selfesteem appear to be rather common characteristics of PE patients. Recently, several authors have assessed the improvement of quality of life and body image following surgical repair of PE. Yet, little is known about the degree to which patients, differ from healthy individuals within the same age group. Steinmann et al observed reduced disease-specific and general health related quality in patients with a chest malformation. Body image was highly impaired in both PE and PC patients. However, the number of patients (71 PE, 19, PC, 82 healthy individuals) was not matched and was not evaluated physical function. Also, they evaluated patients with a high degree of preoperative deformity in this study. Therefore, the investigators aimed to evaluated the physical and psychosocial characteristics of patients with pectus excavatum and carinatum compared with healthy controls.
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