CostochondritisMedical Author:
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACRDr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. Medical Editor:
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical EditorMelissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Chest Pain: Is It Costochondritis?Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Costochondritis usually, but not always, involves one side of the breastbone. Sometimes the pain can extend to the shoulder or arm on the involved side. When costochondritis is accompanied by swelling of the areas surrounding the cartilage, the condition is called Tietze syndrome. In Tietze syndrome, the swollen area of the inflamed cartilage may be tender to the touch, and the skin overlying the cartilage may be reddened. Costochondritis is most common in people between 20 and 40 years of age. In most cases, doctors do not know why the condition develops. Trauma to the chest wall may lead to costochondritis, and it also is believed that viral infections, particularly upper respiratory infections, may cause costochondritis. The condition also can occur as a feature of more generalized diseases of inflammation such as certain forms of arthritis, fibromyalgia, and inflammatory bowel disease. Top Searched Costochondritis Terms
symptoms, causes, treatment, chest pain, tests, arthritis, fibromyalgia, surgery
Costochondritis OverviewCostochondritis is inflammation of the junctions where the upper ribs join with the cartilage that holds them to the breastbone or sternum. The condition causes localized chest wall pain and tenderness that you can reproduce by pushing on the involved cartilage in the front of the rib cage. Costochondritis is a relatively harmless condition and usually goes away without treatment. The cause is usually unknown. Costochondritis affects females more often than males (70% versus 30%).
Viewer Comments & ReviewsCostochondritis - TreatmentThe eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:What treatment has been effective for your costochondritis? |
Pain in the chest wall around the breastbone (or sternum) is the most
characteristic feature of the condition known as costochondritis. Medically, the
term chondritis refers to inflammation of any cartilage in the body.
Costochondritis refers specifically to inflammation of the cartilage that joins
the ribs to the breastbone (called costal cartilages). The chest pain of
costochondritis sometimes is severe. 
Arthritis
Get the latest treatment options
From WebMD
Arthritis Resources
Featured Centers
- Ask the Nutritionist: Weight Loss Tips
- Which Drugstore Tooth Whiteners Work Best?
- Gout: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
Costochondritis
Chest Pain Overview
If you are having severe pain, crushing, squeezing, or pressure in your chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or if the pain moves into your neck, left shoulder, arm, or jaw, go immediately to a hospital emergency department. Do not drive yourself. Call 911 for emergency transport.
Chest pain is one of the most frightening symptoms a person can have. It is sometimes difficult even for a doctor or other medical professional to tell what is causing chest pain and whether it is life-threatening.
- Any part of the chest can be the cause of the pain including the heart, lungs, esophagus, muscle, bone, and
skin.
- Because of the complex nerve distribution in the
body, chest pain may actually originate from another part of the body.
- The stomach or other organs in the belly (abdomen), for example, can cause chest pain.
Potentially life-threatening causes of c...
Read What Your Physician is Reading on Medscape
Costochondritis »
In contrast to myocardial ischemia or infarction, costochondritis is a benign cause of chest pain and is an important consideration in the differential diagnosis.
Featured Topics
Medical Dictionary
Pill Identifier on RxList
- quick,
easy,
pill identification
Find a Local Pharmacy
- including
24 hour
pharmacies
