Tietze syndrome is a benign
inflammation
Inflammation (from la, wikt:en:inflammatio#Latin, inflammatio) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or Irritation, irritants, and is a protective response involving im ...
of one or more of the
costal cartilage
The costal cartilages are bars of hyaline cartilage that serve to prolong the ribs forward and contribute to the elasticity of the walls of the thorax. Costal cartilage is only found at the anterior ends of the ribs, providing medial extension.
...
s. It was first described in 1921 by German surgeon
Alexander Tietze and was subsequently named after him. The condition is characterized by
tenderness and painful
swelling of the anterior (front)
chest wall
The thoracic wall or chest wall is the boundary of the thoracic cavity.
Structure
The bone, bony human skeleton, skeletal part of the thoracic wall is the rib cage, and the rest is made up of muscle, skin, and fasciae.
The chest wall has 10 lay ...
at the
costochondral (rib to cartilage),
sternocostal
The sternocostal joints, also known as sternochondral joints or costosternal articulations, are synovial plane joints of the costal cartilages of the true ribs with the sternum. The only exception is the first rib, which has a synchondrosis joint ...
(cartilage to sternum), or
sternoclavicular (clavicle to sternum) junctions. Tietze syndrome affects the
true ribs
The rib cage, as an enclosure that comprises the ribs, vertebral column and sternum in the thorax of most vertebrates, protects vital organs such as the heart, lungs and great vessels.
The sternum, together known as the thoracic cage, is a semi- ...
and has a predilection for the 2nd and 3rd ribs, commonly affecting only a single joint.
In environments such as the emergency department, an estimated 20-50% of non-cardiac chest pain is due to a musculoskeletal cause.
Despite
musculoskeletal conditions such as Tietze syndrome being a common reason for visits to the emergency room, they are frequently misdiagnosed as
angina pectoris
Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease.
Angina is typically the result of obstru ...
,