When we talk about pectus excavatum, most people automatically think of a condition that affects humans. However, this chest wall deformity can also appear in animals, particularly in dogs and cats. Although rare, it has been documented in veterinary medicine for more than five decades, and studying it has provided valuable insight into how the chest wall behaves and the different strategies used to correct it, something that also resonates with thoracic surgery in humans.
What is pectus excavatum?
Pectus excavatum is a congenital chest wall deformity characterized by an abnormal depression of the sternum and the adjacent costal cartilage, giving the chest a sunken or concave appearance. Its severity varies widely: some cases are mild with no significant consequences, while others compress intrathoracic organs and lead to respiratory or cardiovascular problems.
A discovery with more than 50 years of history
The first published veterinary description of pectus excavatum in a cat appeared in 1968, when veterinarians H. H. Grenn and D. E. Lindo documented a case in the Canadian Veterinary Journal. A few years later, in 1973, J. L. Pearson published the first formal description of the condition in dogs, expanding the understanding of this disease within veterinary medicine. Since then, numerous clinical cases have been reported in dogs and cats, making pectus excavatum a well-recognized condition among veterinary surgery and diagnostic imaging specialists. Those who want to learn more can consult the MSPCA-Angell resource on pectus excavatum in puppies and kittens.
Which animals can develop it?
The vast majority of cases described in the veterinary literature involve cats and dogs, although isolated reports exist in other species as well. In dogs, some publications have noted a higher frequency in certain brachycephalic and small breeds, although the condition can appear in any breed.
What are the symptoms?
Clinical signs depend on the degree of deformity. Animals with mild forms can remain asymptomatic throughout their lives, but more severe cases may present with:
- Rapid or labored breathing
- Exercise intolerance
- Fatigue
- Stunted growth
- Recurrent respiratory infections
- Cardiac abnormalities secondary to thoracic compression
In puppies and kittens, symptoms usually become evident during the first weeks or months of life.
How is it diagnosed?
Diagnosis usually begins with a physical examination, where sternal depression can be observed. The most commonly used tools include chest X-rays, computed tomography (CT), and echocardiography when cardiac involvement is suspected. CT has become an especially valuable tool for assessing the severity of the deformity and planning personalized treatments.
Current treatments in veterinary medicine
Treatment depends on the animal’s age, the severity of the deformity, and the presence of symptoms.
- Conservative management: in young patients with mild deformities, clinical and radiographic monitoring may be chosen, along with supportive care and physiotherapy.
- External splints: the most widely used treatment in young animals. These techniques take advantage of the chest’s natural flexibility during growth to progressively reposition the sternum, without surgery. Different designs have been described over the years, including custom devices made using 3D printing.
- Surgical correction: when the deformity is severe or the chest has little flexibility, more advanced techniques are used, such as internal fixation systems, sternal plates, surgical cerclage, or thoracoscopy-assisted procedures.
A parallel with thoracic surgery in humans
It’s interesting to see that, when the deformity in dogs and cats is severe, veterinary surgeons turn to internal fixation systems and sternal plates to reposition the sternum without entering the thoracic cavity. That same goal — achieving a lasting correction of the sternum through an approach that avoids damaging internal organs — is what Pectus Up pursues in humans: a minimally invasive, extrathoracic surgical technique developed by Ventura Medical Technologies. Through a single incision, an implant resting on the rib cusp and an elevating system fixed to the sternum exert a lever force that permanently corrects the chest depression, without the need to enter the mediastinum or pleural cavity.
A condition shared across species
Pectus excavatum reminds us that many anatomical alterations are not exclusive to humans. Although its incidence is low, dogs and cats can also develop it, and thanks to advances in veterinary medicine, multiple options now exist for its diagnosis and treatment. As technology continues to evolve, the collaboration between human medicine, biomedical engineering, and veterinary medicine will keep opening new opportunities to improve the quality of life of patients of all species.
