Costochondritis in adolescents.

One hundred adolescent clinic patients who complained of chest or upper abdominal pain were evaluated. Seventy-nine were found to have only tender costal cartilages. Costochondritis pain originates in the anterior chest wall and may radiate into the chest, back, or abdomen. It is reproducible by palpating the affected costal cartilage. Costochondritis was more often unilateral than bilateral (P = 0.001), and in unilaterally affected patients (P less than 0.005), is involved the left side more than the right. The left fourth sternocostal cartilage was involved most frequently. A simple program of mild analgesics and reassurances was sufficient treatment in all cases. These findings suggest that chest pain and upper abdominal pain in adolescents rarely arise from serious problems. Adolescents are normally hypersensitive about physical symptoms, but they can be effectively reassured and an expensive diagnostic and treatment program can be avoided.