Imaging in the Evaluation of Chest Pain in the Primary Care Setting, Part 2: Sources of Noncardiac Chest Pain.

Chest pain is a common presenting complaint in the primary care setting. Imaging plays a key role in the evaluation of the multiple organ systems that can be responsible for chest pain. With numerous imaging modalities available, determination of the most appropriate test and interpretation of the findings can be a challenge for the clinician. In this 2-part series, we offer resources to guide primary care physicians in the selection of imaging studies and present the imaging findings of various causes of nonemergent chest pain. In Part 2, we focus on the radiologic appearance of common noncardiac sources of chest pain, including gastrointestinal, pulmonary, and musculoskeletal etiologies.

Chest Pain: If It Is Not the Heart, What Is It?

Noncardiac chest pain is an angina-type discomfort without indication of ischemia. Diagnosis can be difficult because of its heterogeneous nature. Classification varies by specialty; gastroenterology uses the terminology gastroesophageal reflux disease related versus non-gastroesophageal reflux disease related. Other disciplines recognize noncardiac chest pain etiologies as having gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, psychiatric, or pulmonary/other as underlying etiologies. Diagnostics yield a specific cause for effective treatment, which is aimed at the underlying etiology, but it is not always possible. Some patients with noncardiac chest pain have comorbidities and ongoing pain that lead to decreased quality of life and continued health care use.

Painful Chest Wall Swellings: Tietze Syndrome or Chest Wall Tumor?

BACKGROUND: Tietze syndrome (TS) is an inflammatory condition characterized by chest pain and swelling of costochondral junction. Primary chest wall tumors may mimic TS. In this article, we report our experience of approximately 121 patients initially diagnosed as TS and determined chest wall tumor in some cases at the follow-up. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of patients diagnosed as TS by clinical examination, chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, routine laboratory tests, and computed tomography (CT) of chest: all treated and followed up between March 2001 and July 2012. There were 121 cases (41 males and 80 females; mean age, 39.6 ± 3.2 years) of TS. RESULTS: In 27 patients with initial normal radiological findings, the size of swellings had doubled during the follow-up period (mean, 8.51 ± 2.15 months). These patients were reevaluated with chest CT and bone scintigraphy and then early diagnostic biopsy was performed. Pathologic examination revealed primary chest wall tumor in 13 patients (5 malignant, 8 benign). CT had a sensitivity of 92.3% and a specificity of 64.2% in detection of tumors (kappa: 0.56, p = 0.002), whereas the sensitivity and the specificity of bone scan were 84.6 and 35.7%, respectively (kappa: 0.199, p = 0.385). CONCLUSION: Primary chest wall tumors could mimic TS. Bone scintigraphy or CT is not specific enough to determine malignant and other benign disorders of costochondral junction. Therefore, clinicians should follow TS patients more closely, and in case of increasing size of swelling, early diagnostic biopsy should be considered.

Non-cardiac chest pain: a clinical assessment tool.

A simple clinical approach to patients presenting with chest pain is outlined, which is easily taught and can be quickly applied. This approach was demonstrated in a large cohort of patients and this article discusses the characteristics of the various diagnostic sub-groups.

Chest pain in primary care: is the localization of pain diagnostically helpful in the critical evaluation of patients?--A cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Chest pain is a common complaint and reason for consultation in primary care. Traditional textbooks still assign pain localization a certain discriminative role in the differential diagnosis of chest pain. The aim of our study was to synthesize pain drawings from a large sample of chest pain patients and to examine whether pain localizations differ for different underlying etiologies. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study including 1212 consecutive patients with chest pain recruited in 74 primary care offices in Germany. Primary care providers (PCPs) marked pain localization and radiation of each patient on a pictogram. After 6 months, an independent interdisciplinary reference panel reviewed clinical data of every patient, deciding on the etiology of chest pain at the time of patient recruitment. PCP drawings were entered in a specially designed computer program to produce merged pain charts for different etiologies. Dissimilarities between individual pain localizations and differences on the level of diagnostic groups were analyzed using the Hausdorff distance and the C-index. RESULTS: Pain location in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) did not differ from the combined group of all other patients, including patients with chest wall syndrome (CWS), gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) or psychogenic chest pain. There was also no difference in chest pain location between male and female CHD patients. CONCLUSIONS: Pain localization is not helpful in discriminating CHD from other common chest pain etiologies.

Stretching exercises for costochondritis pain.

The term costochondritis (ChC) indicates a painful and persistent inflammation at the costochondral or costosternal junction. The usual conservative treatment (NSAIDs), local splinting, local heat) and sometimes disappointing. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of stretching exercises in a group of patients affected with ChC. This retrospective open study involved 51 outpatients with diagnosis of ChC: thirty four consecutive patients were treated with stretching exercises, 34 patients matched for age, pain and disease duration constituted the control group. All the patients had spontaneous pain at least in the one of the costochondral junctions at the third to seventh rib. The intensity of spontaneous pain was measured by means of the visual analogic scale of Scott-Huskisson. The homogeneity of the two groups at the beginning of the study was checked for VAS, for disease duration and age by means of Mann-Whitney test for non-parametric measures. The statistical analysis of pain was done by Friedman analysis of variance and Student-Newman-Keuls multiple comparisons tests. The results showed a progressive significant amelioration in patients treated with stretching exercises as respect as the control group (p<0.001). The goal of therapy of costochondritis is to reduce inflammation and the pain. The NSAIDs, local injection of anaesthetic or steroid has insufficient effectiveness. The possibility to improve the pain by means of simple stretching exercises can supply a useful instrument in order to treat the condition of these patients.

Conservative treatment of a female collegiate volleyball player with costochondritis.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to discuss the conservative care used to treat a female collegiate volleyball player with acute costochondritis. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 21-year-old collegiate volleyball player had right anterior chest pain and midthoracic stiffness of 8 months duration. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: High-velocity, low-amplitude manipulation was performed to the associated hypokinetic costovertebral, costotransverse, and intervertebral zygapophyseal thoracic joints. Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization was performed by using the Graston technique. Pain levels improved on numeric pain scale, as did functional status identified on Dallas Pain Questionnaire and Functional Rating Index. CONCLUSION: This athlete seemed to respond positively to manipulation, soft tissue mobilization, and taping.

Can early diagnosis and management of costochondritis reduce acute chest pain admissions?

OBJECTIVE: We identified patients presenting with chest pain diagnosed as costochondritis by a consultant rheumatologist. The time taken to diagnosis was determined and the influence of diagnosis on subsequent management was assessed. We then estimated any cost benefits that early diagnosis and treatment of costochondritis might confer. Finally, we evaluated our current experience of sulfasalazine as a treatment for recurrent costochondritis. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study of 25 consecutive patients (17 female), mean age 50 years (range 26-75), with costochondritis who initially presented with acute chest pain. RESULTS: The mean time to diagnosis was 9.4 (0-57) months. The total number of chest pain admissions pre-review was 39 compared with 6 post-review (p < 0.0001). The number of minor investigations was 169 pre-review compared with 17 post-review (p < 0.0001), and major investigations 30 compared with 0 (p < 0.01). All 13 patients treated with corticosteroid injections reported symptomatic improvement, and 10 of the 11 whose symptoms recurred responded to sulfasalazine. CONCLUSION: Patients with costochondritis frequently present with acute chest pain, often resulting in multiple admissions and investigations. In this study admission and investigation rates were significantly reduced following rheumatological review. How much of this reduction is directly a result of rheumatological intervention is unclear, given the limitations of the study. The findings suggest early review may improve patient care and reduce expenditure; in recurrent cases of costochondritis, sulfasalazine may be of additional longterm benefit.

Musculoskeletal causes of chest pain.

BACKGROUND: Chest pain is a common presenting problem to general practitioners and accident and emergency departments. Such a symptom generates anxiety in both patients and their medical attendants, for fear that this symptom represents a life threatening event. Numerous investigations often ensue, adding to the physical and financial burden on an already stressed health system. Musculoskeletal causes of chest pain are common but frequently overlooked. OBJECTIVE: This article aims to outline some of the more common musculoskeletal problems which may present as chest pain, and to present a practical approach to their diagnosis and management. DISCUSSION: It is estimated that somewhere in the vicinity of 20-25% of noncardiac chest pain has a musculoskeletal basis. Careful history taking to identify red flag conditions differentiates those who require further investigation. Historical features suggesting a musculoskeletal cause include pain on specific postures or physical activities. A musculoskeletal diagnosis can usually be confirmed by clinical examination alone, the key to which is reproducing the patient's pain by either a movement or more specifically palpation over the structure that is the source of the pain. Confirming the diagnosis, explanation and reassurance allay anxiety. Management strategies include manual therapy, the provision of analgesia and anti-inflammatory agents, either topically, orally or by injection. Focal injection of local anaesthetic alone may also be a useful diagnostic and therapeutic tool.

Pleomorphic T-cell lymphoma with chondropathia tuberosa; a case report and review.

Pleomorphic T-cell-lymphoma (anaplastic IgA-plasma cell tumor) belongs to the group of malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL). The histological and immunophenotypical subtypes differ with genetic and environmental etiologic factors. Lymphomas arise from the clonal proliferation of precursor cells within lymphoid organs with acquired chromosomal abnormalities. Approximately 5% of all primary malignant bone tumors are NHL, the majority of diffuse large B-cell type. Our case history can be regarded as the first published in English language reporting on a pleomorphic T-cell-lymphoma imitating a Chondropathia tuberosa (Tietze's syndrome): The tumor appeared with a tender tumescence over the sternum and a painful swollen left sterno-clavicular joint--as a rule a typical sign for Tietze's syndrome. Only sternal puncture followed by immune histology confirmed an anaplastic IgA-plasma cell tumor. The primary tumor, and later on an osteolysis of cervical vertebrae I-III with a complete destruction of the axis and an affection of the dens atlantis could not be detected by radiographic examinations. Moreover, this tumor infestation could only be depicted by the magnet resonance imaging and the computed tomography. Furthermore, other results of our report are the very rare manifestation of a T-cell lymphoma as a pedicled tumor near the pancreas or of pancreatic origin and the excellent result of an autologous stem cell transplantation. Reviewing the literature, we want to discuss the present scientific and clinical standards of diagnosis, progress and treatment of Chondropathia tuberosa and T-cell lymphoma, and we want to point out some new aspects of both diseases.