Chest Wall Pain Differential Diagnoses

Chest wall pain list from Winzenberg 2015 ^[1].

Costochondritis
Lower rib pain syndromes (slipping rib syndrome)
Pain from thoracic spine
- costovertebral joints
- interspinous ligaments and paravertebral muscles
- possibly not costotransverse joints or facet joints
Sternalis Syndrome
Stress fractures
Tietze’s Syndrome
Xiphoidalgia
Spontaneous sternoclavicular subluxation
Rheumatic diseases
- Fibromyalgia
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Axial spondyloarthritis (including ankylosing spondylitis)
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Relapsing polychondritis
Sternoclavicular hyperostosis
Septic arthritis of the chest wall
Non-rheumatic systemic causes
Osteoporotic fracture
Neoplasms
Pathological fracture
Bone pain
Sickle cell disease (rare)

References

↑ Winzenberg T, Jones G, Callisaya M. Musculoskeletal chest wall pain. Aust Fam Physician. 2015;44(8):540-544.

Axial Skeleton	Neck Pain Thoracic Pain Low Back Pain Sacroiliac Pain Coccydynia
Upper Limbs	Sternoclavicular Joint Pain Shoulder Pain and Instability Elbow Pain Wrist Pain and Instability Neuropathic Arm Pain
Lower Limbs	Hip Pain Lateral Hip Pain Groin Pain Posterior Thigh Pain Buttock Pain Anterior Thigh Pain Knee Pain Calf Pain Ankle Pain Foot Pain Neuropathic Leg Pain
Other	Abdominal Wall Pain Chest Wall Pain Joint Hypermobility Vertigo Widespread Pain Anterior Throat Pain Arthritis Rheumatology Symptoms