[Funnel chest and pigeon breast (author's transl)].

The dominant heredity of funnel chest formation is considered proved. The incidence of funnel chest is about 0.05% of the population, with the emphasis on boys. In very many cases deformities of the anterior chest wall are associated with other deformities. All patients with pigeon breast or funnel chest suffer considerably psychically under their deformity. This is the main indication for operation. The best age for operation is from the 2nd to 6th years of life. Conservative methods of treatment are never successful. Of the present day operative techniques, the stabilizing--by implantation of metal clips--are opposed to the nonstabilizing operative procedures. Both achieve equally good and completely satisfactory results in 85% of cases.