The Pectus Excavatum Gender Divide – Females Have Better Cardiopulmonary Function and Exercise Tolerance Despite Worse Deformity

Objective: Pectus excavatum (PE) is a common chest wall deformity with variable severity and symptomatology. More common in males, this condition has been rarely studied in female cohorts. Most of the existing literature for females focuses on breast asymmetry and cosmetic reconstruction. We sought to evaluate gender differences in the patterns of cardiopulmonary compromise and functional impairment in this population. Methods: Results …