Skip to main content
Log in

Tietze's syndrome — a chameleon under the thoracic abdominal pain syndroms

  • Kasuistik
  • Published:
Klinische Wochenschrift Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Tietze's syndrome is characterized by pain due to a self-limiting, localized, non-suppurative swelling of the costochondral or sternoclavicular junction of unknown etiology. The case of a woman is presented here who was submitted to the hospital under the suspicion of a pathological fracture. After extensive investigations the diagnosis of Tietze's syndrome was made by exclusion, and the patient was successfully treated with local injection of an anaesthetic. Possible differential diagnoses of Tietze's syndrome include myocardial infarction, pneumonia, and others. This report emphasizes the importance of a thorough clinical investigation and the need for the exclusion of severe and lifethreatening diseases.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Burch GE, DePasquale NP (1964) Tietze's disease. Geriatrics 19:61–66

    Google Scholar 

  2. Calabro JJ (1977) Costochondritis. N Engl J Med 296:946–947

    Google Scholar 

  3. Calabro JJ, Jeghers H, Miller KA, Gordon RD (1980) Classification of anterior chest wall syndromes. JAMA 243:1420–1421

    Google Scholar 

  4. Cameron HU, Fornasier VL (1974) Tietze's disease. J clin Path 27:960–962

    Google Scholar 

  5. Edelstein G, Levitt RG, Slaker DP, Murphy WA (1984) Computed tomography of Tietze's syndrome. J Comput Assist Tomogr 8:20–23

    Google Scholar 

  6. Fam AG, Smythe HA (1985) Muskuloskeletal chest wall pain. Can Med Assoc J 133:379–389

    Google Scholar 

  7. Gupta SK, Chatterjee S (1984) Tietze's syndrome. J Indian M A 82:397–399

    Google Scholar 

  8. Häckel H (1971) Das Tietze-Syndrom ein differential-diagnostisches Problem. MMW 13:47–49

    Google Scholar 

  9. Härkönen M (1977) Tietze's syndrome. BMJ 2:1087–1088

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hamburg C, Abdelwahab IF (1987) Reliability of computed tomography in the initial diagnosis and follow-up evaluation of Tietze's syndrome: Case report with review of the literature. J Comput Assist Tomogr 11:83–87

    Google Scholar 

  11. Jelenko C, Cowan GSM (1977) Perichondritis (Tietze's syndrome) at the xiphisternal joint: A mimic of severe disease. JACEP 6:536–542

    Google Scholar 

  12. Jelenko C (1979) Tietze's disease predates ‘chest wall syndrome’. JAMA 242:2556

    Google Scholar 

  13. Jones GE, Evans PA (1980) Treatment of Tietze's syndrome pain through paced respiration. Biofeedback Self-Regul 5:295–303

    Google Scholar 

  14. Kayser HL (1956) Tietze's syndrome. Am J Med 21:982–989

    Google Scholar 

  15. Levey GS, Calabro J (1962) Tietze's syndrome: Report of two cases and review of the literature. Arch Rheum 5:261–269

    Google Scholar 

  16. McKean CWF (1977) Tietze's syndrome. BMJ 2:1417

    Google Scholar 

  17. Miller JH (1980) Accumulation of gallium-67 in costochondritis. Clin Nucl Med 5:362–363

    Google Scholar 

  18. Motulsky A, Rohn RJ (1953) Tietze's syndrome: Cause of chest pain and chest wall swelling. JAMA 152:504–506

    Google Scholar 

  19. Peyton FW (1983) Unexpected frequency of idiopathic costochondral pain. Obstetrics Gynecol 62:605–608

    Google Scholar 

  20. Pye JK, Mansel RE, Hughes LE (1985) Clinical experience of drug treatment for mastalgia. Lancet 2:373–377

    Google Scholar 

  21. Ricevuti G (1985) Effects of human calcitonin on pain in the treatment of Tietze's syndrome. Clin Therapeu 7:669–673

    Google Scholar 

  22. Sain AK (1985) Bone scan in Tietze's syndrome. Clin Nucl Med 3:470–471

    Google Scholar 

  23. Scobie BA (1976) Costochondral pain in gastroenterologic practice. N Engl J Med 295:1261

    Google Scholar 

  24. Talucci RC, Webb WR (1983) Costal chondritis: The costal arch. Ann Thorac Surg 35:318–321

    Google Scholar 

  25. Tietze A (1921) Über eine eigenartige Häufung von Fällen mit Dystrophie der Rippenknorpel. Klin Wochenschr 58:829–831

    Google Scholar 

  26. Verdickt W, Dequeker J (1984) Tietze's syndrome: A clinical retrospective study. Acta Clin Belg 39:13–17

    Google Scholar 

  27. Wiedermann HR (1972) Tietze-Syndrom (Chondroosteopathie costalis tuberosa) im frühen Kindesalter. Helv paediat Acta 27:25–32

    Google Scholar 

  28. Wolf E, Stern S (1976) Costosternal Syndrome — Its frequency and importance in differential diagnosis of coronary heart disease. Arch Intern Med 136:189–191

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Boehme, M.W.J., Scherbaum, W.A. & Pfeiffer, E.F. Tietze's syndrome — a chameleon under the thoracic abdominal pain syndroms. Klin Wochenschr 66, 1142–1145 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01727851

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01727851

Key words

Navigation