J Korean Acad Rehabil Med.
2003 Feb;27(1):96-101.
Musculoskeletal Causes of Anterior Chest Wall Pain
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Samsung Medical Center, Korea.
- 2Department of Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Masan Samsung Medical Center, Korea.
- 3Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Samsung Medical Center, Korea.
- 4Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Samsung Medical Center, Korea.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the musculoskeletal causes of anterior chest pain and know the prevalencies of the diseases. METHOD: During 4-year periods (1997-2001), 37 patients with anterior chest wall pain was analyzed with regard to the causes of pain and the frequencies of the diseases. RESULTS: 17 patients (45.9%) had systemic diseases and 20 patients (54.1%) had focal joint problems. Systemic disease included the undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy (18.9%), ankylosing spondylitis (13.5%), psoriatic arthritis (2.7%), SAPHO (Synovitis, Acne, Psoriasis, Hyperostosis, Osteitis) syndrome (8.1%), and rheumatoid arthritis (2.7%). Focal joint diseases included costochondritis (10.8%), sterno clavicular inflammatory arthropahty (5.4%), sternoclavicular hyperostosis (2.7%) and infective arthritis (2.7%). Other focal joint problems were pain in sternoclavicular joint with the tenderness and swelling (2.7%), pain in costochondral joint (13.6%), sternoclavicular joint (5.4%), xyphoid process (2.7%) with only focal tenderness. 3 (8.1%) patients had pain in chest wall which had no focal tenderness and swellings on the joint. CONCLUSION: Diverse systemic diseases were identified as causes of the anterior chest wall pain. So physiatrist keep in mind this result and make use of them in diagnostic approaching of the anterior chest pain due to chest wall skeletal involvemen.
