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Costochondritis

Last reviewed: 10 Nov 2023
Last updated: 06 Apr 2022

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • chest pain
  • chest-wall tenderness
More key diagnostic factors

Other diagnostic factors

  • chest-wall swelling
Other diagnostic factors

Risk factors

  • microtrauma
  • female sex
  • Hispanic ethnicity
  • age >40 years
  • sternotomy wound infection
  • intravenous drug use
More risk factors

Diagnostic investigations

1st investigations to order

  • nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug trial
More 1st investigations to order

Investigations to consider

  • local anesthetic and corticosteroid trial
  • chest x-ray
  • CT chest
  • MRI chest
  • wound or blood cultures
More investigations to consider

Treatment algorithm

ACUTE

inflammatory

infectious

Contributors

Authors

Fadi Badlissi, MD, MSc
Fadi Badlissi

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.

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