16th February 2025

Diseases of the chest wall

Pathology of the chest wall may decrease its compliance and, therefore, cause a restrictive defect. It is classified as follows:

• Congenital: for example, pectus excavatum, pectus carinatum and Poland syndrome. The latter involves a constellation of unilateral features, including incomplete development of the hands, respiratory muscles and costal cartilages
• Age related: it is normal for chest wall compliance to decrease with age, and this can be further exacerbated by kyphosis and scoliosis
• Traumatic and iatrogenic: flail chest and thoracoplasty
• Abdominal processes: obesity and ascites cause a restrictive defect via splinting of the diaphragm
• Ankylosing spondylitis: may lead to fixation of the chest wall in advanced disease