ArticleBMC pediatrics2026
Associations of Haller index and manual depth measurement with clinical findings and pulmonary function in children with pectus excavatum: a retrospective cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPectus excavatum (PE) is the most common congenital chest wall deformity. Its severity is usually assessed by chest computed tomography (CT) based indices such as the Haller index (HI) and correction index (CI). However, evidence supporting non-imaging anthropometric methods is limited. Manual depth measurement (MDM) is a simple, noninvasive bedside method that may offer clinical value.
methodsThis retrospective cross-sectional study included children diagnosed with pectus excavatum and followed at a tertiary center between 2017 and 2024. Demographics, pulmonary function tests (PFTs), symptoms, comorbidities, and echocardiographic data were analyzed. HI and CI were measured using chest CT scans. MDM values recorded during follow-up were retrieved from physical exam notes.
resultsA total of 127 patients were included, with a median age of 7.25 years (IQR, 7.05). Median HI was 2.70 (IQR, 0.56), median MDM was 2.00 cm (IQR, 1.35), and median CI was 16% (IQR, 6.7). MDM was significantly correlated with HI (p = 0.012). ROC analysis showed that MDM moderately but significantly discriminated severe deformity defined as HI> 2.5, with an optimal cut-off value of 1.75 cm. Respiratory symptoms and comorbidities were present in 39.4% and 38.6% of patients, respectively. Pulmonary function impairment was observed in 19% of patients, predominantly with a restrictive pattern. HI> 2.5 was associated with reduced forced vital capacity (FVC) and total lung capacity (TLC), whereas the association between MDM> 1.75 cm and TLC <80% weakened after adjustment for age.
conclusionMDM is a practical bedside measurement that correlates with HI and involves no radiation exposure. An MDM threshold of 1.75 cm was associated with HI> 2.5 in the CT-evaluated subgroup and may support conservative follow-up when interpreted together with clinical and functional findings. This threshold should be considered exploratory and requires prospective validation.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.