Resting right ventricular function in pectus excavatum: do haller index and age matter?

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Thoracic Surgery
• Pediatric Cardiology

Background:

• Pectus excavatum (PE) can compress intrathoracic structures, potentially affecting right ventricular (RV) function.
• The Haller index (HI) quantifies PE severity, but its correlation with RV function is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the Haller index (HI) and patient age with resting RV systolic function in PE patients.
• To determine if HI or age predict RV dysfunction in individuals with PE.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 67 PE patients undergoing surgical correction with preoperative echocardiographic data.
• RV function assessed via fractional area change (FAC) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE).
• Statistical analyses included correlation, subgroup, regression, and ROC analyses stratified by HI severity and age.

Main Results:

• Neither HI nor age showed a significant correlation with FAC or TAPSE.
• Subgroup and regression analyses confirmed HI and age were not predictive of impaired RV systolic function.
• ROC analysis indicated poor discriminatory power of age for reduced FAC.

Conclusions:

• Resting RV systolic function in PE patients is not significantly influenced by HI or age.
• Clinical evaluation should incorporate functional assessments beyond anatomical metrics like HI for surgical decision-making.