Last reviewed: 24 Jun 2024
Last updated: 06 Apr 2022
Summary
Definition
History and exam
Key diagnostic factors
- chest pain
- chest-wall tenderness
Full details
Other diagnostic factors
- chest-wall swelling
Full details
Risk factors
- microtrauma
- female sex
- Hispanic ethnicity
- age >40 years
- sternotomy wound infection
- intravenous drug use
Full details
Diagnostic tests
1st tests to order
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug trial
Full details
Tests to consider
- local anesthetic and corticosteroid trial
- chest x-ray
- CT chest
- MRI chest
- wound or blood cultures
Full details
Treatment algorithm
ACUTE
inflammatory
infectious
Contributors
Authors
Fadi Badlissi, MD, MSc
Attending Physician
Medical Director of the Musculoskeletal Medical Unit
Department of Orthopedics & Division of Rheumatology
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Boston
MA
Disclosures
FB declares that he has no competing interests.
Peer reviewers
Don Aspegren, DC, MS
Assistant Clinical Professor
Department of Rehabilitation
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Lakewood
CO
Disclosures
DA declares that he has no competing interests.
Richard Wakefield, BM, FRCP, MD
Senior Lecturer in Rheumatology
Section of Musculoskeletal Disease
Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine
Chapel Allerton Hospital
Leeds
UK
Disclosures
RW declares that he has no competing interests.
Differentials
- Acute coronary syndrome
- Pleuritis
- Pulmonary embolism
More Differentials
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