Precordial Catch Syndrome in Elite Swimmers With Asthma

Precordial catch syndrome is a benign cause of chest pain in children and adolescents that remains underrecognized. Because of distinctive symptoms, precordial catch syndrome is not necessarily a diagnosis of exclusion. However, a detailed history eliciting diagnostic features is important, along with a physical examination excluding other pathologic disorders. We present the cases of 2 elite swimmers with asthma who had acute episodes of precordial catch syndrome, one associated with an acute asthma exacerbation and one not, while swimming during competitive swim meets that required rescue efforts for both and eventual evaluation in the emergency department.