| Modality | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Chest X-ray | Can be used for diagnosis and calculating pectus indices | Less accurate |
| Lower cost and less exposure to radiation | Cannot assess asymmetric chest defects and sternal torsion | |
| Computed Tomography (CT) Scan Low dose radiation imaging without contrast should be performed | Excellent for diagnosing pectus excavatum, calculating indices, assessing cardiac compression, and evaluating calcification of the cartilage | Higher cost and exposure to ionizing radiation |
| Can assess asymmetric chest defects and sternal torsion | ||
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) (Chest/Cardiac) | Excellent for diagnosing pectus excavatum, calculating pectus indices, and assessing cardiac compression | Higher cost and less commonly available due to insurance restrictions |
| Cardiac MRI can be used to evaluate cardiac function as well as the degree of compressions | Requires sedation or other interventions to perform on claustrophobic individuals |