Chest Wall Pain

Chest pain may be a symptom of a number of serious conditions and is, in general, considered a medical emergency. Even though it may be determined that the pain is non-cardiac in origin, this is often a diagnosis of exclusion made after ruling out more serious causes of the pain.

• In the US, an estimated 5 million patients per year visit an Emergency Room with chest pain.
• More than 50% of patients visiting emergency facilities with unexplained chest pain will have coronary disease ruled out.
• 1.5 million patients are admitted annually for workup of acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
• Approximately 8 billion dollars are used annually to evaluate complaints of chest pain.

The thoracic cavity (or chest cavity) is the chamber of the body of vertebrates that is protected by the thoracic wall (rib cage and associated skin, muscle, and fascia). The central compartment of the thoracic cavity is the mediastinum. There are two openings of the thoracic cavity, a superior thoracic aperture known as the thoracic inlet and a lower inferior thoracic aperture known as the thoracic outlet.

The thoracic cavity includes the tendons as well as the cardiovascular system which could be damaged from injury to the back, spine or the neck.

Chest pain is often felt by pleural mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma patients as the disease progresses.