The natural progression of cardiorespiratory failure in scoliosis

The authors evaluated the respiratory capacity of 73 patients with untreated scoliosis of varying etiology, site, age and severity. Twenty-six of these patients were also evaluated from a haemodynamic point of view by means of a right cardiac catheterisation. The results, in conformity with the most significant data reported in the literature, confirm that scoliosis causes cardiorespiratory insufficiency of varying extent in relation to age of onset, site and severity. The initial respiratory deficit is of the restrictive type and is fairly well tolerated. Only later, with progression of the disease and the occurrence of pulmonary hypertension, do the clinical signs of "gibbus cor pulmonare" become manifest.