What Is a Bird Chest?

A bird chest is a chest wall deformity that causes a person's ribs to protrude, giving him a bird-like appearance. It is also called "pigeon chest" or Pectus carinatum. The internal organs are not affected by this deformity, although assymetrical bone growth occurs and knobby lesions appear on the ribs.

Bird chest may be associated with genetic disorders such as scoliosis, Turner syndrome and Leopard syndrome. It can appear at birth and looks like a rounded anterior chest wall. To treat Pectus carinatum, doctors perform the Ravitch procedure on qualified individuals who are 13 to 22 years old. An incision is made on the chest to remove the overgrowth of cartilage and repair the sternum.