Quantification of Chest Wall Asymmetry in Healthy Females Using Standardized Computed Tomography-Derived Curve...

Anterior chest asymmetry is common, with potential implications for aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery. However, current assessments rely on visual inspection or linear measurements, and few studies offer a reproducible, quantitative framework for analyzing skeletal asymmetry in healthy populations.

The aim of the study is to develop and evaluate a proof-of-concept methodology for quantifying anterior thoracic skeletal asymmetry using standardized, computed tomography (CT)-derived curve segmentation and polynomial modeling.

Chest CT scans from 50 female patients aged 18 to 45 with a BMI of 20 to 25 were evaluated using semi-automated segmentation. The right and left chest wall curvatures were extracted in both a horizontal and vertical plane at the level of the fourth rib insertion and one-fourth of the maximum thorax width, respectively.

The left chest wall displayed significantly greater outward projection than the right chest in both planes (P < .001). The most pronounced differences were observed from 2 to 5 cm from the sternum in the horizontal plane and 0 to 1 cm from the manubrium in the vertical plane. Individual assessments showed that >65% of patients exhibited leftward prominence in the horizontal and vertical planes. The estimated mean volume discrepancy between the left and right chest walls was 19.3 cc.

This study introduces a reproducible, curve-based methodology for quantifying skeletal chest wall asymmetry using CT images. In this healthy female cohort, a statistically significant leftward asymmetry was common. Although the volumetric difference may be small and not clinically significant in isolation, these findings support individualized skeletal assessment as a basis for surgical planning, warranting future studies with 3D modeling and more diverse populations.