ABSTRACT
Chest wall deformities may be primary or secondary and, from a clinical and cosmetic point of view, range from mild to severe. They rarely cause significant impairment of respiratory function, although minor deficiencies may be found on formal pulmonary function tests. Primary chest wall deformities are classified as: depression deformities, protrusion deformities and deficiency deformities. In children, the more common congenital pulmonary conditions include: congenital lobar emphysema, congenital pulmonary airway malformation, pulmonary sequestration and bronchogenic cyst. Pulmonary interstitial emphysema is an acquired condition seen in premature infants with severe hyaline membrane disease who require high pressure respiratory support for prolonged periods. There are several pulmonary conditions that are seen occasionally. These include hamartoma of the lung, staphylococcal pneumonia, pneumatocele, spontaneous pneumothorax, inflammatory pseudotumour, bronchiectasis, hydatid disease and pulmonary metastases. Fluid may accumulate in the pleural cavities secondary to a variety of primary conditions, which include pulmonary infection, intrathoracic malignancy, ascites and trauma.
