ABSTRACT
Congenital thoracic deformities comprise a broad spectrum of abnormalities. They include the rare complete and incomplete sternal defects: thoracic ectopia cordis, thoraco-abdominal ectopia cordis (Cantrell’s pentalogy) and bifid sternum. More frequent are the deformities of the ribs including pectus excavatum, pectus carinatum and Poland’s syndrome, which are rarely repaired in infancy. Asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy (Juene’s syndrome) and spondylothoracic dysplasia (Jarcho-Levin syndrome) are seldom treated surgically and never with a long-term successful result.
