Chest wall syndromes

Chest pain of musculoskeletal origin has not been reviewed on an annual basis in Current Opinion in Rheumatology because of the relative infrequency of important contributions in this area. Over the past 5 years, several studies have contributed to our knowledge of the epidemiology of musculoskeletal chest wall pain, particularly in the setting of noncardiac chest pain. In addition, a growing body of literature has further defined the various syndromes involving the sternum and its articulations, with particular emphasis on the seronegative spondyloarthropathies and arthropathy associated with pustular skin disease. Finally, small series and reviews have continued to address special syndromes of the anterior and posterior chest wall that are of interest to clinicians dealing with patients with pain in this area.