Effect of Pectus Excavatum Deformity on Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Adolescent Boys

Abstract

As a group, boys with pectus excavatum deformity have lower endurance fitness than controls, and this is associated with reduced cardiac output and tidal volume responses to exercise. However, the wide variability of these measures makes it difficult to assign pectus deformity as a cause of exercise intolerance in individual patients.