Tietze’s Syndrome in the emergency department: A rare etiology of atraumatic chest pain

Lee Grodin, Gino Farina

Department of Emergency Medicine, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New York, USA.
Department of Emergency Medicine, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, New York, USA;.

DOI: 10.4236/crcm.2013.23056                

Abstract

Tietze’s Syndrome is an uncommon disorder that presents with painful, tender, non-suppurative swelling of the anterior chest wall. We report a case of a female patient who presented to the emergency department with a chief complaint of atraumatic chest pain and swelling of the anterior chest wall. After a thorough history and physical examination, as well as basic laboratory tests and chest radiography, she was diagnosed with Tietze’s Syndrome. The expedient accurate diagnosis of Tietze’s Syndrome is important for the physical and emotional well-being of a patient, and avoids overlooking more dangerous pathologies. Tietze’s Syndrome needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis of a patient presenting with spontaneous swelling of the anterior chest.

Keywords

Tietze’s Syndrome; Atraumatic Chest Pain

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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