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Swollen chest cavity. Costochondritis: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

What are the causes of costochondritis? What are the symptoms of costochondritis? How is costochondritis treated?

Understanding Costochondritis

Costochondritis is a condition that involves the inflammation of the cartilage connecting the ribs to the breastbone. This can lead to a stabbing, burning, or aching pain in the chest wall, particularly around the second to fifth ribs. The condition is often triggered by coughing, heavy lifting, or a blow to the chest.

Causes of Costochondritis

In many cases, the exact cause of costochondritis is unknown, a condition known as idiopathic costochondritis. However, there are several potential contributing factors:

  • History of an illness that causes frequent coughing
  • Heavy lifting or strenuous exercise involving the upper extremities and chest wall
  • Carrying heavy bags, such as a backpack, on one side of the body
  • Having large breasts
  • History of chest injuries or chest infections
  • Undergoing surgery that affects the chest wall, such as cardiac bypass

Symptoms of Costochondritis

The primary symptom of costochondritis is chest discomfort and pain, which can be described as stabbing, burning, or aching in nature. The ribs most commonly affected are the second to fifth ones. Costochondritis is most commonly seen in individuals over the age of 40, and an estimated 13-36% of those seeking emergency medical attention for chest pain are experiencing costochondritis.

The pain associated with costochondritis is often worsened by activities that involve a significant amount of coughing, strenuous exercise, or physical activity using the upper arms, such as lifting boxes. The pain typically occurs on the left side of the body but can affect both sides.

Tietze Syndrome

A variation of costochondritis, known as Tietze syndrome, involves not only pain but also swelling of the rib cartilage. This swelling usually affects at least one of the upper four ribs, most commonly the second or third. While the pain associated with costochondritis may subside over time, the swelling in Tietze syndrome can persist. Tietze syndrome is considered a rare disorder, and aside from the pain and discomfort, it does not cause any long-term harmful effects.

Treatment of Costochondritis

Costochondritis is typically treated conservatively, with a focus on rest and avoiding strenuous exercise that affects the chest wall. Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, can also help manage the pain. In rare cases, a doctor may recommend injections of lidocaine or corticosteroids to reduce pain and inflammation.

Other treatments that may provide relief include applying moist heat through warm compresses, taking cough suppressants to ease coughing and reduce pressure on the cartilage, and physical therapy to ease tension in the chest wall. If these treatments do not provide sufficient relief, patients should seek follow-up care with their doctor.

When to Seek Medical Attention

If someone is experiencing chest pain, they should not try to determine whether it is a heart-related issue or costochondritis on their own. Instead, they should seek immediate medical attention. This is especially important for younger individuals who are not at risk of a heart attack but are experiencing sharp, persistent chest pain.

Even if someone has been diagnosed with costochondritis, there are certain instances when they should seek immediate medical attention again, including:

  • Feeling faint, dizzy, or lightheaded
  • Feeling like the heart is beating irregularly or too fast
  • Pain that worsens over time or cannot be relieved by pain medication
  • Shortness of breath
  • A fever higher than 100.4°F in an adult
  • Coughing up dark-colored sputum or blood

It is important to seek prompt medical attention for any concerning chest pain or symptoms to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment.

Conclusion

Costochondritis is a condition that can cause significant chest pain and discomfort, but it is usually a temporary and treatable condition. By understanding the causes, symptoms, and appropriate treatments for costochondritis, individuals can better manage their condition and seek prompt medical attention when necessary.

Costochondritis: Causes, symptoms, and treatment

Costochondritis is an inflammation of the cartilage connecting the ribs to the breastbone. It can cause a stabbing, burning, or aching pain in the chest wall, especially around the second to fifth ribs. Coughing and a blow to the chest are among the causes.

The ribs are connected to the breastbone by tough, protective tissue called cartilage. When this cartilage becomes inflamed, the condition is known as costochondritis or chest wall pain.

While this condition is usually temporary, it can be alarming, as the pain can become so significant it mimics a heart attack.

Doctors may also refer to costochondritis as costosternal syndrome or costosternal chondrodynia. The condition will usually resolve on its own with home treatments.

Fast facts on costochondritis

  • In many cases, doctors do not know what causes costochondritis.
  • Pain in the chest and breastbone area is the chief symptom of costochondritis.
  • The pain may be so severe that the person feels they are having a heart attack.
  • Treatment includes anti-inflammatory medications.

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Share on PinterestUsually costochondritis will resolve itself with home treatment, and is a temporary condition.

Though causes are often unknown, in some instances, the condition can be the result of one or more of the following:

  • history of an illness that causes a lot of coughing
  • heavy lifting or strenuous exercise, involving the upper extremities and chest wall
  • carrying heavy bags, such as a heavy backpack on one side or the other
  • having large breasts
  • history of chest injuries or chest infections
  • undergoing surgery that affects the chest wall, such as cardiac bypass

Doctors call costochondritis that has no known causes idiopathic costochondritis.

Chest discomfort and pain may be stabbing, burning, or aching in nature. The ribs most affected are the second to fifth ones.

The condition most commonly affects those older than age 40, according to an article in the journal American Family Physician. An estimated 13-36 percent of those who seek emergency medical attention for chest pain are experiencing costochondritis.

The following activities usually worsened the pain associated with costochondritis:

  • significant amount of coughing
  • strenuous exercise
  • physical activity using the upper arms, such as lifting boxes

The pain associated with costochondritis usually occurs on the left side of the body but can affect both sides.

Tietze syndrome

There is a variation of costochondritis called Tietze syndrome. This condition causes pain associated with costochondritis, as well as swelling of the rib cartilage.

The swelling of Tietze syndrome affects at least one of the upper four ribs, usually the second or third ribs. While the pain associated with costochondritis may subside with time, some people with Tietze syndrome will still experience the swelling.

Although doctors have not defined how prevalent this condition is, they do consider it to be a rare disorder. Other than pain and discomfort, it does not cause any long-term harmful effects.

Share on PinterestThe symptoms of costochondritis can be worsened by certain activities, such as lifting heavy objects, or strenuous coughing.

Doctors usually treat costochondritis conservatively. Resting and avoiding strenuous exercise that affects the chest wall can help. So can over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

Children under age 18 should not take aspirin due to the increased risk for Reye’s syndrome.

In rare instances, a doctor may recommend injections of lidocaine or corticosteroids to reduce pain and inflammation. Other treatments that may help to relieve chest pain include:

  • Applying moist heat by way of warm compresses.
  • Taking cough suppressants to ease coughing and reduce pressure to the cartilage.
  • Physical therapy to ease tension in the chest wall.

If these treatments do not reduce a person’s incidence of costochondritis, they should seek a follow-up with their doctor.

If a person is having chest pain, they should not try to determine for themselves if it is a heart-related issue or costochondritis. Instead, they should seek immediate medical attention.

If a younger person who is not at risk of heart attack experiences these symptoms, they should seek emergency attention if their chest pain is sharp and does not improve with rest.

If someone has gone to a doctor for their symptoms and has been diagnosed with costochondritis, there are still some instances when a person should seek immediate medical attention again. These include:

  • feeling faint, dizzy, or lightheaded
  • feeling as if the heart is beating irregularly or too fast
  • pain that worsens over time or cannot be relieved by pain medicine
  • having a shortness of breath
  • a fever that is higher than 100.4 °F in an adult
  • coughing up dark-colored sputum or blood

If the chest pain is radiating to the arms, neck, shoulder, jaw, or back, a person should seek immediate medical attention.

Share on PinterestSome conditions may seem similar to costochondritis, including an injured shoulder or neck, or arthritis of the surrounding joints.

Doctors often diagnose costochondritis by ruling out other potential causes of the chest pain and discomfort connected with the condition. For example, if a person is older than 35, a doctor may first want to rule out coronary artery disease (CAD), as a potential cause.

Individuals who are at risk of CAD, such as those with a family history, those who are obese, or those with a history of smoking, should usually have an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) and chest X-ray to check for CAD.

Other medical conditions that may closely resemble costochondritis include:

  • arthritis of the shoulder or nearby joints
  • chest wall infections or cancer
  • fibromyalgia, a condition that causes nerve pain
  • slipping rib syndrome, when there is too much mobility in the cartilage supporting the ribs
  • injuries to the shoulder or neck that causes pain to refer or travel to the chest wall

A physical examination to detect tenderness of the cartilage to the touch may also be performed. If a person is having a heart attack or has another type of heart condition, the cartilage in the chest is not usually sensitive to the touch.

A doctor will also listen to the heart and lungs, as well as examine the skin for any signs of infection. An X-ray or other imaging studies will not show signs of costochondritis.

Doctors can usually diagnose a child, adolescent, or young adult by asking questions about their medical history and by conducting a physical exam. The doctor will often check for tenderness in the chest cartilage, as part of this.

According to American Family Physician, costochondritis can last anywhere from a few weeks to months. It may also recur if it has been caused by physical exercise or strain.

The condition does not usually last longer than one year. However, adolescents with costochondritis can sometimes have a longer period of symptoms.

Swollen lymph nodes in chest: Symptoms, causes, and more

Usually, chest lymph nodes are too deep in the chest for a person to feel them. In most cases, swollen lymph nodes in the chest appear on imaging scans. Swelling can indicate an underlying condition.

The lymph nodes sometimes swell when fighting an infection. Mediastinal lymphadenopathy is the medical term for swollen lymph nodes in the chest.

The lymph nodes are an important part of the lymphatic system, which helps protect the body from disease-causing organisms, such as bacteria.

Along the collarbone, it may be possible for a person to feel swollen lymph nodes. These lymph nodes may swell when there is an infection, especially in nearby areas such as the breasts or throat.

Swollen lymph nodes can signal a serious underlying condition, such as cancer or an infection. Lymph nodes can also swell for no apparent reason.

In this article, we look at the possible causes of swollen lymph nodes in the chest and their treatments.

The lymphatic system is part of the immune system, and it helps filter out harmful materials, such as infections or cancer cells. It includes a network of vessels, similar to blood vessels, connecting the many different lymph nodes.

These small nodes sometimes swell when the body is filtering out something harmful. They can also swell for no apparent reason, either because of chronic health issues or due to lymph node diseases, such as Kikuchi disease.

Swollen lymph nodes may occur in a single location or throughout the body. The site of the swelling often provides clues to the source of the problem.

For example, a person with a swollen lymph node in the neck might have a tooth abscess or strep throat.

Swollen lymph nodes in the chest often mean a person has a serious underlying medical condition. Some potential causes include:

  • Lung cancer: Swelling in the lymph nodes surrounding the lungs and in the chest may mean that a person has lung cancer or that lung cancer is spreading to other areas of the body.
  • Lymphoma: Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes. It can affect lymph nodes anywhere in the body and may begin in the chest or spread to the chest from other lymph nodes.
  • Sarcoidosis: Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that can damage the lungs. A 2019 study found that it was one of the most common noncancerous reasons for swollen lymph nodes in the chest.
  • Tuberculosis: Tuberculosis is a serious infection that affects the lungs and may spread elsewhere in the body. It can cause swollen lymph nodes.
  • Other infections: Other infections, especially those that affect the lungs, may cause swollen lymph nodes. Examples include bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections, such as pneumonia, HIV, histoplasmosis, and toxoplasmosis, respectively. However, mononucleosis, a viral infection, rarely causes the lymph nodes in the chest to swell.
  • Other causes: Other serious health issues, such as heart failure or interstitial lung disease, can sometimes cause swollen chest lymph nodes.

In a 2019 study, of the 1,075 people who underwent an endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) to diagnose swollen chest lymph nodes, cancer was the most common reason for the swollen chest lymph nodes, with 61.6% having some form of this disease.

Except for the lymph nodes above the collarbone, the lymph nodes in the chest are so deep that a person cannot feel them.

Most are located around organs and behind bones or other large structures. Many are behind the breastbone in the pleural space, which is the tissue lining the chest and surrounding the lungs.

Others surround the main veins and arteries of the heart. For example, the para-aortic lymph nodes lie on the front and the back of the ascending aorta and aortic arch.

As it is not possible to feel the lymph nodes deep in the chest by pushing on the skin, a person will require an imaging scan to determine whether they are swollen.

It is not possible to feel the mediastinal lymph nodes, which are deep in the chest. Other chest lymph nodes are also typically too deep to feel. Doctors usually only notice swelling in these lymph nodes on an imaging scan.

However, a person may feel some lymph nodes around the chest, such as the lymph nodes above the collarbone.

Swollen chest lymph nodes can cause symptoms such as chest pressure and fullness, so a doctor may suspect that either the lymph nodes are swollen or a person has an underlying disease.

People with swollen lymph nodes in the chest may also experience swollen lymph nodes elsewhere, such as in the armpits, groin, or neck.

People with swollen lymph nodes in the chest might not notice any symptoms. However, the swollen lymph nodes sometimes push on organs or other structures, which may cause pain.

An underlying illness can cause swollen lymph nodes along with other symptoms such as:

  • feeling sick or weak
  • fever
  • cough or trouble breathing
  • swollen lymph nodes elsewhere in the body
  • unexplained weight loss
  • night sweats
  • pressure in the chest

Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic system or lymph nodes. It can begin in the lymph nodes of the chest or travel to these lymph nodes from other parts of the lymphatic system.

Other cancers, such as lung cancer, may also spread, affecting nearby lymph nodes.

Although a biopsy of the lymph nodes is the only way to diagnose cancer, a doctor may also recommend blood work and imaging scans to evaluate the source of the swollen chest lymph nodes.

The type of cancer a person has, where it began, and whether it has spread to other areas help determine the outlook. For instance, the overall 5-year relative survival rate for non-Hodgkin lymphoma is 72%.

The treatment for swollen chest lymph nodes depends on the cause. Some options include:

  • Infection treatment: Antibiotics can treat many infections, including tuberculosis. Fungal infections may require antifungal treatment, while some infections, such as viral pneumonia, respond well to supportive therapy. Supportive therapy means that a doctor monitors the person and treats their symptoms, such as with IV fluids and observation in the hospital.
  • Cancer treatment: The right cancer treatment depends on the cancer, but usually includes chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both. A surgeon may remove the cancerous lymph nodes or recommend surgery to remove cancer in other areas of the body.
  • Immunosuppressive therapy: Treatment for an immune-mediated disease such as sarcoidosis includes corticosteroids and immune therapy.
  • Medication: As some medications can cause lymph nodes to swell, a doctor may recommend switching medications.

Finding swollen chest lymph nodes can be scary, especially if they accompany other symptoms. A doctor will perform other tests to determine the reason for the swelling and offer advice about treatment options.

Even a very serious diagnosis, such as cancer, often responds well to treatment, especially in the early stages. Furthermore, antibiotics can often completely cure infections, such as tuberculosis.

People who experience chest pain or pressure, breathing difficulties, or other symptoms of swollen chest lymph nodes should see a doctor as quickly as possible.

The doctor will likely ask for a log of all of the symptoms a person experiences, including when the symptoms first appeared. They will also ask the person about their medical history.

Emphysema | LRC. Treatment and Rehabilitation Center of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia

We will start our conversation not with what pulmonary emphysema is, but with how the lungs are arranged and what happens to their tissue with age.

Why should I start the conversation with this topic? Everything is very simple. I have little doubt that you opened this article after receiving the description of your chest x-ray. The conclusion of the radiologist most likely says: “No focal and infiltrative shadows were detected. Signs of emphysema and diffuse pneumosclerosis.” To understand what the radiologist who wrote such a conclusion meant, one must remember the structure of the lung.

Structure of the lungs

The lungs consist of airways (bronchi and bronchioles) and air sacs (alveoli). The easiest way to imagine the structure of the lungs is in the form of a tree. The branches of which are bronchi of different diameters, which branch into small branches (bronchioles). At the ends of the bronchioles are air sacs called alveoli that look like bunches of grapes. The alveoli have a very thin wall and are surrounded by a network of blood vessels. It is through the thin wall of the alveoli that oxygen enters the blood, and carbon dioxide is removed from the body.

What happens to the lung tissue during the development of pulmonary emphysema

During life, under the influence of various harmful factors (primarily smoking) and with age, the walls of the alveoli thicken to a greater or lesser extent, cease to be as elastic as before. The partitions between some air bubbles break down and form one large bubble or bulla. These phenomena of restructuring of the lung tissue are called emphysema. In fact, the word emphysema comes from the Greek word emphysao – “to inflate. ” It is the degree of “swelling” of the lungs that is a manifestation of emphysema. Imagine an old rubber toy. It is impossible to squeeze all the air out of it, as before, and it no longer straightens out at such a speed when you stop squeezing it. The same thing happens in the lung tissue with emphysema: part of the air that was previously easily exhaled remains in the lungs, which means that the amount of “fresh” air with a new portion of oxygen will be less during the next breath. The same situation occurs with lung tissue both in old age and with certain lung diseases.

“Age-related” emphysema

Lung elasticity slowly decreases with age. According to scientists, it should reach its minimum values ​​by 140–150 years.

When performing a chest x-ray in a patient of 60-70 years old, a doctoral radiologist almost always sees slightly “inflated lungs” and thickened walls of the alveoli. Most often these are the so-called “age-related” changes in the lung tissue. This is where the radiologist’s conclusion comes from: Emphysema. Diffuse pneumosclerosis

If you still have doubts about the need to treat the identified changes in the lung tissue, then in order to get an accurate answer to the question: does the condition of the lungs correspond to your age, you just need to ask the doctor to perform an external respiration function, and even better, body plethysmography and study diffusion lung capacity. During body plethysmography, not only the volume of the lungs is determined, but also how much air remains in them after exhalation. Please note that when you do this study, the doctor will definitely ask your age, weight and height. This is necessary because for people of a certain age, height, body weight and gender, respiratory function indicators have their own individual norm indicators, which, unfortunately, decrease with age.

Pulmonary emphysema as a disease

Pulmonary emphysema can also be an independent disease. In this case, the same processes that we spoke about develop in the lungs, only much faster. At the same time, the lungs can no longer effectively supply oxygen to the blood, so respiratory failure develops. First, a person feels shortness of breath when running, then a lack of air appears even at rest.

Emphysema can be caused by smoking, a lack of certain enzymes (eg alpha1-antitrypsin), congenital abnormalities in the development of the lungs, and certain immune diseases of the lungs.

Only a doctor can determine the cause of emphysema and prescribe treatment. It is better if you contact a pulmonologist.

Treatment of pulmonary emphysema

First of all, this is smoking cessation and breathing exercises

Of course, it is necessary to treat the underlying disease that led to the development of emphysema.

Surgical treatment is recommended for bullous emphysema, which removes swollen and non-functioning areas of the lungs, which leads to a decrease in shortness of breath, allowing healthy areas of the lung tissue to come into operation.

Chest deformity – causes of occurrence, in what diseases it occurs, diagnosis and methods of treatment

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Deformation of the chest: causes of occurrence, in which diseases it occurs, diagnosis and methods of treatment.

Definition

Chest deformity is understood as changes in the shape of its bone structures of varying severity, in some cases manifesting not only as a cosmetic defect, but also leading to functional disorders in the respiratory and cardiovascular systems due to compression and displacement of the organs of the chest cavity. The chest is a part of the body formed by the sternum, ribs, vertebrae, and muscles interconnected by means of joints.

In other words, the chest is a musculoskeletal frame that protects vital organs from external influences.

The chest changes as a person grows and develops, and in adults its shape and size depend on gender, development of muscles and respiratory organs, occupation, lifestyle. The shape of the chest has several variants of the norm: flat, cylindrical and conical.

Types of chest deformities

All chest deformities are divided by origin into congenital and acquired. Congenital defects include funnel-shaped, keeled, combined deformities of the chest and more rare developmental defects. Funnel chest is characterized by retraction of the sternum and anterior chest wall. This is the most common deformity – it makes up about 80% of all deformities (it occurs 3 times more often in boys) and in 25% of cases it is hereditary.

Funnel-shaped chest

Keeled chest is enlarged in its anteroposterior part, the sternum protrudes forward in the form of a keel. It occurs with a frequency of 6 to 20%, more often in males.

Acquired chest deformity can be scaphoid, emphysematous, or barrel-shaped, paralytic, kyphoscoliotic, and also keeled chest (rachitic).

Form deformations are divided into symmetrical and asymmetric.

To determine the severity of the deformity, a chest x-ray or computed tomography (CT) is performed.

On the radiograph, the ratio of the smallest size between the sternum and the vertebral body to the largest is calculated, which is the Gizhitskaya index. Depending on the value obtained, four degrees of deformation are distinguished. When performing computed tomography, the Haller index (computed tomographic index) is determined, which is equal to the ratio of the horizontal distance between the inner part of the ribs to the distance between the sternum and the vertebral body at the site of the greatest retraction of the sternum.

According to the stage deformities are compensated, subcompensated and decompensated. With compensated deformity, the cosmetic defect is insignificant, shortness of breath and palpitations are not observed. With subcompensated deformity, the cosmetic defect is pronounced, there is shortness of breath and tachycardia during physical exertion. With decompensated deformity, the cosmetic defect is disfiguring, shortness of breath and tachycardia are present at rest.

Possible causes of chest deformity

Congenital deformities of the chest are associated with a genetic anomaly in the development of cartilage and bone tissue, and are often combined with connective tissue defects (in hereditary diseases: Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, etc. ). Some types of deformities can be diagnosed in infancy or early childhood (costal-muscular defect, cleft sternum). Others make their debut and progress during periods of accelerated growth of the body, mainly such jumps occur at the age of 5-6, 8-10, 13-15 years.

Acquired deformities of the chest occur as a result of external influences (trauma, burns, surgical interventions, for example, for cardiac pathology) or past diseases (often inflammatory or infectious, associated with impaired calcium metabolism).

Diseases causing chest deformity

Diseases that cause chest deformity and are associated with impaired calcium metabolism include rickets .

Rickets is a disease of childhood, in which, due to various reasons, a rapidly growing organism develops polyhypovitaminosis with a predominant decrease in the level of vitamin D – the bones lose their mineral density and deform during the growth of the child, the chest becomes keeled. Currently, deformations are less common, because. rickets is recognized in the early stages.

For syringomyelia is characterized by the presence of a cavity filled with fluid located in the spinal cord. The disease can occur due to a violation of the development of the embryo, due to birth trauma, spinal cord injury, obstruction of the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid. The walls of the cavity push back the surrounding tissues, which consist of nerve cells and pathways of the nervous system. As a result, the innervation of the muscles, including those forming the frame of the chest, is disturbed. In the later stages, this can lead to curvature of the spine and the formation of a navicular depression on the anterior surface of the chest.

Osteomyelitis is an infectious-inflammatory purulent-necrotic lesion of bone tissue, the causative agents of which can be staphylococci, streptococci, Escherichia coli, etc.

Osteomyelitis of the ribs occurs extremely rarely, more often it is post-traumatic, less often bacterial, when bacteria enter the bone tissue with blood flow or spread by contact (for example, with purulent damage to the lining of the lungs).

In the acute period, symptoms such as an increase in body temperature up to 39-40°C, pain, redness, swelling in the area of ​​the affected rib.

Among infectious diseases tuberculosis is of particular importance . Not only pulmonary tuberculosis (in the later stages), but also tuberculosis of the bones (sternum, ribs, vertebrae) can lead to chest deformities. The process proceeds according to the type of osteomyelitis, but it causes its specific causative agent – Koch’s wand. With tuberculosis of the ribs or sternum, swelling and soreness in the affected area are externally determined. With tuberculosis of the spine, the vertebral bodies are affected and destroyed, which is manifested by pain, in the later stages the spinal column is deformed. The disease is accompanied by an increase in body temperature up to 37.2-37.6 ° C, general malaise, night sweats, lack of appetite, weight loss.

Pulmonary emphysema – a disease in which the walls of the alveoli, the structural elements of the lung tissue, are irreversibly destroyed and lose elasticity, gas exchange is disturbed and increased airiness of the lungs occurs. Emphysema can occur on its own or as a result of obstructive pulmonary disease.

Due to the increased airiness of the lung tissue, the chest increases in volume, as if freezing on inspiration (becomes barrel-shaped).

In diseases of the lungs and pleura , leading to the formation of connective tissue in them and a decrease in their size, the chest is deformed according to the paralytic type – it decreases, flattens, intercostal spaces retract on the side of the lesion.

Which doctors to contact in case of chest deformity

therapist, general practitioner,
pediatrician. If there are indications, the patient is referred to narrow specialists, such as a surgeon, an orthopedic traumatologist, a phthisiatrician, an oncologist,
cardiologist, psychologist, geneticist,
endocrinologist, otolaryngologist, etc.

Diagnosis and examination of chest deformities

Before prescribing treatment, the doctor needs to assess the type and shape of the cosmetic defect, find out when and under what circumstances it arose.

It is imperative to inform the doctor about other symptoms, if any: general weakness and fatigue, episodes of fever, shortness of breath, heart palpitations.

If necessary, to assess the condition of the internal organs or clarify indications for surgical treatment, the specialist will prescribe additional methods of examination: chest x-ray in two projections with the calculation of indices, complete blood count with leukocyte formula and ESR, urinalysis, spirography, electrocardiography, echocardiography (EchoCG) computed tomography of the chest and mediastinum, magnetic resonance imaging of the chest.

Plain chest x-ray

X-ray examination of the structure of the lungs to diagnose various pathologies.

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Clinical blood test: general analysis, leukoformula, ESR (with microscopy of a blood smear in the presence of pathological changes)

Synonyms: Complete blood count, UAC. Full blood count, FBC, Complete blood count (CBC) with differential white blood cell count (CBC with diff), Hemogram.
Brief description of the study CBC: general a…

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General urinalysis (Urine analysis with sediment microscopy)

Method of determination

Determination of physical and chemical parameters is carried out on an automatic analyzer using the “dry chemistry” method.

Hardware microscope…

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ECG without interpretation

ECG is a study based on the registration of biopotentials of the heart. It is used to diagnose the functional activity of the myocardium.

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CT scan of the chest and mediastinum

Examination to obtain data on the condition of the chest and mediastinum.

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What to do in case of chest deformity?

In the event of a visible deformity of the chest and / or the presence of accompanying symptoms, it is necessary to consult a doctor in order to identify the causes, make a diagnosis, determine the degree of damage to the internal organs and start treatment as soon as possible.

In the absence of indications for surgical treatment, it is necessary to see a doctor and regularly undergo a medical examination, conduct courses of conservative treatment, monitor your condition, be alert for shortness of breath, episodes of heart palpitations, etc.

Treatment of chest deformities

With secondary deformities of the chest, the treatment of the underlying disease comes to the fore, then, if necessary, the deformity is corrected.

With primary deformities of I-II degree, if the cosmetic defect does not cause significant psychological discomfort to the patient, conservative treatment is carried out: massage, physiotherapy, physiotherapy exercises.

Indications for surgical treatment are grade III–IV deformities, progression of deformity, psychological discomfort, impaired movement of the chest during inhalation, compression or displacement of the heart according to CT, echocardiography, compression of the lungs according to CT, impaired lung parameters according to spirography, etc.

There are several methods of surgical intervention that are used to correct chest deformity: removal and excision of ribs, separation of bones, cartilage, and installation of metal structures. Currently, methods of minimally invasive operations have been developed.

Sources:

  1. Komolkin I.A., Agranovich O.E. Clinical variants of chest deformities (literature review). Journal of Clinical and Experimental Orthopedics. G.A. Ilizarov. T. 23(2), 2017. S. 241-247.
  2. Akselrov M.A., Razin M.P., Satyvaldaev M.N., Volsky G.B., Skobelev V.A., Baturov M.A. Keeled deformity of the chest. Russian Bulletin of Pediatric Surgery, Anesthesiology and Resuscitation. 8 (3), 2018, pp. 45-52.
  3. Clinical guidelines “Tuberculosis in adults”. Developed by: Russian Society of Phthisiologists, Association of Phthisiologists. – 2022.
  4. Clinical guidelines “Tuberculosis in children”. Developed by: Russian society of phthisiatricians. – 2020.

IMPORTANT!

The information in this section should not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, only the attending physician should prescribe diagnostic tests. For diagnosis and proper treatment, you should contact your doctor.
For a correct assessment of the results of your analyzes in dynamics, it is preferable to do studies in the same laboratory, since different laboratories may use different research methods and units of measurement to perform the same analyzes.

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Pain in the hip joint: causes, in which diseases it occurs, diagnosis and methods of treatment.

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Whooping cough

Gastritis

Ulcer

Pneumothorax

Gastroesophageal reflux

Intoxication

Fractured rib

Tuberculosis

Lung abscess

Scoliosis

Myocarditis

Chest pain in children

Chest pain in children: causes of occurrence, in what diseases it occurs, diagnosis and methods of treatment.