Precordial catch syndrome (PCS) is a non-serious condition in which there are sharp stabbing pains in the chest. These typically get worse with inhaling and occur within a small area. Spells of pain usually last less than a few minutes. Typically it begins at rest and other symptoms are absent. Concerns about the condition may result in

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...

. The underlying cause is unclear. Some believe the pain may be from the chest wall or irritation of an

intercostal nerve The intercostal nerves are part of the somatic nervous system, and arise from the anterior rami of the thoracic spinal nerves from T1 to T11. The intercostal nerves are distributed chiefly to the thoracic pleura and abdominal peritoneum, and diffe ...

. Risk factors include

psychological stress In psychology, stress is a feeling of emotional strain and pressure. Stress is a type of psychological pain. Small amounts of stress may be beneficial, as it can improve athletic performance, motivation and reaction to the environment. Exces ...

. The pain is not due to the

heart The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...

. Diagnosis is based on the symptoms. Other conditions that may produce similar symptoms include

angina Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by ischemia, insufficient blood flow to the Cardiac muscle, heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease. Angina is typical ...

pericarditis Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium, the fibrous sac surrounding the heart. Symptoms typically include sudden onset of sharp chest pain, which may also be felt in the shoulders, neck, or back. The pain is typically less severe when sit ...

pleurisy Pleurisy, also known as pleuritis, is inflammation of the membranes that surround the lungs and line the chest cavity (pleurae). This can result in a sharp chest pain while breathing. Occasionally the pain may be a constant dull ache. Other sy ...

, and chest trauma. Treatment is usually via reassurance, as the pain generally resolves without any specific treatment. Precordial catch syndrome is relatively common, and children between the ages of 6 and 12 are most commonly affected. Males and females are affected equally. It is less common in adults. The condition has been described since at least 1893.

Signs and symptoms

Characteristic symptoms include sharp stabbing pains in the chest. These typically get worse with breathing in and occur within a small area. Spells of pain usually last less than a few minutes. Typically it begins at rest and other symptoms are absent. Concerns about the condition may result in

Causes

The underlying cause is unclear. Some believe the pain may be from the chest wall or irritation of an

Psychological stress In psychology, stress is a feeling of emotional strain and pressure. Stress is a type of psychological pain. Small amounts of stress may be beneficial, as it can improve athletic performance, motivation and reaction to the environment. Exces ...

is correlated with precordial catch syndrome. The pain is not due to the

Treatment

Treatment is usually via reassurance, as the pain generally resolves without any specific treatment. Occasionally it goes away after a couple of breaths. There is no known cure for PCS; however, PCS is not believed to be dangerous or life-threatening. Many see the worst part about PCS to be the fear that this chest pain is an indicator of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

or other more serious condition. As the condition is not dangerous or life-threatening, there is no reason to take medication, although some people may choose to refrain from some normal activities such as physical exercise, as this can exacerbate the pain, particularly if it occurs during physical activity.

History

The syndrome was first described and named in 1893 by

Henri Huchard Henri Huchard (4 April 1844 – 1 December 1910) was a French neurologist and cardiologist born in Auxon, Aube. He studied medicine at the University of Paris, later being appointed ''médecin des hôpitaux''. During his career he was associate ...

, a French

cardiologist Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular hear ...

, who called it "précordialgie" (from the latin "praecordia" meaning "before the heart"), or "Syndrôme de Huchard" ("Huchard syndrome"). The term "precordial" had entered the French medical lexicon with the 1370 translation of

Guy de Chauliac Guy de Chauliac (), also called Guido or Guigo de Cauliaco ( 1300 – 25 July 1368), was a French physician and surgeon who wrote a lengthy and influential treatise on surgery in Latin, titled '' Chirurgia Magna''. It was translated into many othe ...

's '' Chirurgia magna''."précordialgie"
Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales. Previously, the Latin term "''praecordia''" had been used to refer to the diaphragm, a sense now obsolete."praecordia"
Oxford Dictionaries. The Huchard syndrome was then studied more deeply by Miller and Texidor, medical practitioners at the Cardiovascular Department and the Department of Medicine at the

Michael Reese Hospital Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center was an American hospital located in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1881, Michael Reese Hospital was a major research and teaching hospital and one of the oldest and largest ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, in 1955. They reported the condition in 10 patients, one being Miller himself. In 1978, PCS was discussed by Sparrow and Bird who reported 45 with it, and that it was probably more frequent than generally assumed. PCS in American children has been discussed by Pickering in 1981 and by Reynolds in 1989. These constitute the literature available in English on PCS.

References

External links

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