[Sternal pain: not always harmless]

In two patients, men aged 39 and 66 years, a sternal mass in combination with pain developed. One patient was diagnosed with a non-Hodgkin lymphoma located in the sternum and the other one with a primary chondrosarcoma of the sternum. They both recovered after treatment. The differential diagnosis of disorders of the chest wall is troublesome and includes haematologic, rheumatologic and infectious processes. Tietze's syndrome is a rare cause of pain and non-suppurative swelling of the costosternal joints. However, tumours of the anterior chest wall can also cause these symptoms and these must therefore be excluded if the complaints persist or the swelling progresses. The most common malignant tumours of the chest wall are non-Hodgkin lymphoma, primary chondrosarcoma and metastases. Diagnostics should consist of blood tests and X-rays. CT and MRI scans are more helpful in establishing the diagnosis. A definitive diagnosis can only be determined by biopsy.