eMedicine Specialties > Emergency Medicine > Rheumatology
Costochondritis: Differential Diagnoses & Workup
Updated: Aug 25, 2009
- Overview
- Differential Diagnoses & Workup
- Treatment & Medication
- Follow-up
Differential Diagnoses
| Abdominal Trauma, Blunt | Herpes Zoster |
| Acromioclavicular Injury | Myocardial Infarction |
| Anxiety | Neoplasms, Lung |
| Gout and Pseudogout | Sternoclavicular Joint Injury |
Other Problems to Be Considered
Pericarditis
Pleurodynia
Polychondritis
Fibromyalgia
Workup
Laboratory Studies
- No specific studies exist for costochondritis. The clinical scenario and the most likely differential diagnoses should guide which laboratory tests are obtained.
Imaging Studies
- Obtain a chest radiograph in the workup of the differential diagnoses.
- Some case reports exist where bone (gallium) scans have been used in the United States to confirm the clinical diagnosis, although these are not ED studies.
More on Costochondritis |
| Overview: Costochondritis |
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Costochondritis |
| Treatment & Medication: Costochondritis |
| Follow-up: Costochondritis |
| References |
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References
Disla E, Rhim HR, Reddy A, Karten I, Taranta A. Costochondritis. A prospective analysis in an emergency department setting. Arch Intern Med. Nov 14 1994;154(21):2466-9. [Medline].
Fam AG, Smythe HA. Musculoskeletal chest wall pain. CMAJ. Sep 1 1985;133(5):379-89. [Medline].
Gotway MB, Marder SR, Hanks DK, Leung JW, Dawn SK, Gean AD, et al. Thoracic complications of illicit drug use: an organ system approach. Radiographics. Oct 2002;22 Spec No:S119-35. [Medline].
Sik EC, Batt ME, Heslop LM. Atypical chest pain in athletes. Curr Sports Med Rep. Mar-Apr 2009;8(2):52-8. [Medline].
Bayer AS, Chow AW, Louie JS, Guze LB. Sternoarticualr pyoarthrosis due to gram-negative bacilli. Report of eight cases. Arch Intern Med. Aug 1977;137(8):1036-40. [Medline].
Fam AG. Approach to musculoskeletal chest wall pain. Prim Care. Dec 1988;15(4):767-82. [Medline].
Ikehira H, Kinjo M, Nagase Y, Aoki T, Ito H. Acute pan-costochondritis demonstrated by gallium scintigraphy. Br J Radiol. Feb 1999;72(854):210-11. [Medline].
Physician's Desk Reference. Motrin. In: Physician's Desk Reference. 50th ed. Medical Economics Co: Montvale, NJ; 1996:2526-27.
Semble EL, Wise CM. Chest pain: a rheumatologist's perspective. South Med J. Jan 1988;81(1):64-8. [Medline].
Trentham DE, Le CH. Relapsing polychondritis. Ann Intern Med. Jul 15 1998;129(2):114-22. [Medline].
Wadhwa SS, Phan T, Terei O. Anterior chest wall pain in postpartum costochondritis. Clin Nucl Med. Jun 1999;24(6):404-6. [Medline].
Wolf E, Stern S. Costosternal syndrome: its frequency and importance in differential diagnosis of coronary heart disease. Arch Intern Med. Feb 1976;136(2):189-91. [Medline].
Further Reading
Keywords
costochondritis, costal chondritis, costochondral joints, costosternal joints, costal cartilage, chest pain, fibrositis, Tietze syndrome
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Costochondritis