Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis, Harrison Groove

Harrison sulcus or Harrison groove is an indentation on the chest roughly along the 6th rib, which is usually bilateral but can also occur unilaterally. The depth of the groove can vary from one person to another, but the deepest part always remains over the sixth costal cartilage. It can be associated with other congenital chest deformities like pigeon breast and funnel chest. In an upright position, the groove is observed to start from xiphoid and becomes shallower, eventually disappearing as it approaches the midaxillary line.The etiology of Harrison sulcus can be either idiopathic or secondary due to an underlying disease such as rickets, chronic malnutrition, recurrent pneumonia, chronic respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, unbalanced diaphragmatic contractions, and congenital heart disease.