Rheumatoid Arthritis Slideshow Pictures Take the RA Quiz Understanding Lupus Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. 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.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa 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.

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Costochondritis Symptoms and Signs

• The reproducible tenderness when pressing on the rib joints (costochondral junctions) is a characteristic feature of costochondritis. Without tenderness, a diagnosis of costochondritis is unlikely.
• Chest pain associated with costochondritis can be preceded or aggravated by exercise, minor trauma, or an upper respiratory infection.
• The pain usually will be sharp and located on your front chest wall. It may radiate to the back or abdomen to cause back pain or belly pain.
• The most common sites of pain are the fourth, fifth, and sixth ribs. This pain increases as you move your trunk or take deep breaths and, therefore, may cause breathing problems. Conversely, it decreases as your movement stops or with quiet breathing.
• Costochondritis can be misdiagnosed or accompanied by anxiety about having chest pain.
• When costochondritis occurs as a result of infection after an operation (surgery), there can be inflammation with redness, swelling, or pus discharge at the site of the procedure.