[Differential thoracic pain diagnosis. An internal medicine challenge]

In the event of chest pain developing, the task of initial evaluation must be either to confirm and treat an acute life-threatening condition, or to exclude it. The diagnosis of a harmless functional disorder can be established only after the exclusion of a number of cardiovascular, pulmonary or gastrointestinal conditions, as also infection or malignancy. Such an approach often requires cooperation with orthopedic surgeons, general surgeons, psychiatrists and also pain specialists.