Funnel chest....pectus excavatum?

[Splishysploshy]

DD 13 has had a defined dip in her chest which we first noticed at about 10 years old. We have had difficulty getting bras to fit as they just do not meet her sternum. In the last 3 to 4 months the dip has got significantly worse to the extent that her bra cups do nothing at all for her now. She has begun to notice it more herself especially last week in the hot weather when she was very self conscious at the beach.
I took her to the GP fully expecting him to say it was purely cosmetic and nothing they could do. I was ready to ask for a referral to a specialist as I was concerned about how she was beginning to feel anxious about her body. He was great with her and after listening to her chest, he used a model skeleton to explain to her what was happening. He told us that he is concerned that her heart is being pushed to one side and that he wanted to refer her for chest X-rays. We went the next day and are now awaiting the results.
Does anyone have any experience of this condition that they can share with me?

Dd1 (nearly 12) also has this, but very mildly, so her heart and lungs are not being pushed out of place. She shouldn't need any treatment for it.

Dd1's pectus is caused by Marfan syndrome, although don't panic because most cases do not have this as an underlying cause. However, if you have any concerns about this, then ask your GP to refer for an echo - I'm sure he would have been checking for this during the initial appointment, but my dd does not have an audible heart murmur.

Dd1 can be quite self conscious about her body too - she hates her feet with a vengeance.

Thank you for your reply. We received the diagnosis of pectus excavatum confirmed today and have an appointment with GP next week to find out about the impact this is having and what the plan of action is.
Tried so hard to not google but I failed.

My DS is 6 and has a severe pectins excavatum, it has been very obvious since birth. The doctor told me it is purely cosmetic and talked me through the op to rectify it. I am leaving it to DS to decide what he wants to do for now.

We had our meeting this week and due to the pressure her sternum is causing on her heart she is being referred to Great Ormond Street. All very scarye but need to remind myself that there are children and families dealing with these things and far far worse all the time. Just never thought it would be us going to somewhere like that.

Of course you are scared, but your dd has been referred to one of the best children's hospitals in the world, so there is every reason to be optimistic. I hope that she isn't kept waiting too long to be seen, and she gets treatment which not only improves her health, but also her body confidence as she's obviously feeling down about her shape.

How is your dd taking it? It's so much harder to support children when they are old enough to understand their condition, and are perceptive enough to pick up on your anxieties too. The great thing about GOSH is that they will have specialist staff that are aware of the needs of children of all ages, including teenagers.