Precordial catch syndrome

Last updated
Precordial catch syndrome
Other namesTexidor's twinge [1]
Precordial catch syndrome Area.png
One of the areas more commonly affected in precordial catch syndrome [1]
Specialty Pediatrics, family medicine
Symptoms Sharp, stabbing chest pain in a small area [1]
Usual onsetSudden [1]
Duration30 seconds to 3 minutes [1]
CausesUnclear [1]
Differential diagnosis Angina, pericarditis, pleurisy, chest trauma [1]
TreatmentReassurance [1]
Prognosis Good [1]
FrequencyRelatively common [1]

Precordial catch syndrome (PCS) is a non-serious condition in which there are sharp stabbing pains in the chest. These typically get worse with inhaling and occur within a small area. Spells of pain usually last less than a few minutes. Typically it begins at rest and other symptoms are absent. Concerns about the condition may result in anxiety. [1]

Contents

The underlying cause is unclear. Some believe the pain may be from the chest wall or irritation of an intercostal nerve. [1] [2] Risk factors include psychological stress. [2] The pain is not due to the heart. Diagnosis is based on the symptoms. Other conditions that may produce similar symptoms include angina, pericarditis, pleurisy, and chest trauma. [1]

Treatment is usually via reassurance, as the pain generally resolves without any specific treatment. Precordial catch syndrome is relatively common, and children between the ages of 6 and 12 are most commonly affected. Males and females are affected equally. [1] It is less common in adults. [2] The condition has been described since at least 1893. [3]

Signs and symptoms

Characteristic symptoms include sharp stabbing pains in the chest. These typically get worse with breathing in and occur within a small area. Spells of pain usually last less than a few minutes. Typically it begins at rest and other symptoms are absent. Concerns about the condition may result in anxiety, with sufferers often fearing that the pain is a sign of a more serious condition. Similar anxieties in those who experience the syndrome on a regular basis may manifest as a worry of the syndrome itself happening, with patients feeling scared to take fuller breaths in fear of triggering a spell. [1]

Causes

The underlying cause is unclear. [1] Some believe the pain may be from the chest wall or irritation of an intercostal nerve. [1] [2] Psychological stress is correlated with precordial catch syndrome. [2] The pain is not due to the heart. [1]

Treatment

Treatment is usually via reassurance, as the pain generally resolves without any specific treatment. Occasionally it goes away after a couple of breaths. [1]

The pain is agitated by expansion and contraction of the chest. Taking a deep breath and allowing the rib cage to fully expand can relieve the pain, however it will feel unpleasant initially.

There is no known cure for PCS; however, PCS is not believed to be dangerous or life-threatening. Many see the worst part about PCS to be the fear that this chest pain is an indicator of a heart attack or other more serious condition. As the condition is not dangerous or life-threatening, there is no reason to take medication, although some people may choose to refrain from some normal activities such as physical exercise, as this can exacerbate the pain, particularly if it occurs during physical activity.

History

The syndrome was first described and named in 1893 by Henri Huchard, [3] a French cardiologist, who called it "précordialgie" (from the latin "praecordia" meaning "before the heart"), or "Syndrôme de Huchard" ("Huchard syndrome"). [4] [5] The term "precordial" had entered the French medical lexicon with the 1370 translation of Guy de Chauliac's Chirurgia magna . [6] Previously, the Latin term "praecordia" had been used to refer to the diaphragm, a sense now obsolete. [6] [7]

The Huchard syndrome was then studied more deeply by Miller and Texidor, medical practitioners at the Cardiovascular Department and the Department of Medicine at the Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, in 1955. [8] They reported the condition in 10 patients, one being Miller himself. In 1978, PCS was discussed by Sparrow and Bird who reported 45 with it, and that it was probably more frequent than generally assumed. [9] PCS in American children has been discussed by Pickering in 1981 [10] and by Reynolds in 1989. [11] Gumbiner reviews PCS as a diagnosis in his 2003 article. [1] Incidences of PCS in swimmers with asthma was analyzed in Hayes, et al.'s article in 2016, constituting the most recent English-language article on the syndrome as of May 2023. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

PCS may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angina</span> Chest discomfort due to disorder of the heart muscles

Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benign fasciculation syndrome</span> Involuntary muscle twitching in the voluntary muscles

Benign fasciculation syndrome (BFS) is characterized by fasciculation (twitching) of voluntary muscles in the body. The twitching can occur in any voluntary muscle group but is most common in the eyelids, arms, hands, fingers, legs, and feet. The tongue can also be affected. The twitching may be occasional to continuous. BFS must be distinguished from other conditions that include muscle twitches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tietze syndrome</span> Inflammation, tenderness, and pain of the chest wall with swelling present

Tietze syndrome is a benign inflammation of one or more of the costal cartilages. It was first described in 1921 by German surgeon Alexander Tietze and was subsequently named after him. The condition is characterized by tenderness and painful swelling of the anterior (front) chest wall at the costochondral, sternocostal, or sternoclavicular junctions. Tietze syndrome affects the true ribs and has a predilection for the 2nd and 3rd ribs, commonly affecting only a single joint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chest pain</span> Discomfort or pain in the chest as a medical symptom

Chest pain is pain or discomfort in the chest, typically the front of the chest. It may be described as sharp, dull, pressure, heaviness or squeezing. Associated symptoms may include pain in the shoulder, arm, upper abdomen, or jaw, along with nausea, sweating, or shortness of breath. It can be divided into heart-related and non-heart-related pain. Pain due to insufficient blood flow to the heart is also called angina pectoris. Those with diabetes or the elderly may have less clear symptoms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Costochondritis</span> Human disease

Costochondritis, also known as chest wall pain syndrome or costosternal syndrome, is a benign inflammation of the upper costochondral and sternocostal joints. 90% of patients are affected in multiple ribs on a single side, typically at the 2nd to 5th ribs. Chest pain, the primary symptom of costochondritis, is considered a symptom of a medical emergency, making costochondritis a common presentation in the emergency department. One study found costochondritis was responsible for 30% of patients with chest pain in an emergency department setting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paget–Schroetter disease</span> Formation of blood clots in the deep veins of the arms

Paget–Schroetter disease is a form of upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a medical condition in which blood clots form in the deep veins of the arms. These DVTs typically occur in the axillary and/or subclavian veins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georges Gilles de la Tourette</span> French physician and the namesake of Tourettes syndrome

Georges Albert Édouard Brutus Gilles de la Tourette was a French neurologist and the namesake of Tourette syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by tics. His main contributions in medicine were in the fields of hypnotism and hysteria.

Post-concussion syndrome (PCS), also known as persisting symptoms after concussion, is a set of symptoms that may continue for weeks, months, or years after a concussion. PCS is medically classified as a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). About 35% of people with concussion experience persistent or prolonged symptoms 3 to 6 months after injury. Prolonged concussion is defined as having concussion symptoms for over four weeks following the first accident in youth and for weeks or months in adults.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pneumomediastinum</span> Abnormal presence of gas in the thorax

Pneumomediastinum is pneumatosis in the mediastinum, the central part of the chest cavity. First described in 1819 by René Laennec, the condition can result from physical trauma or other situations that lead to air escaping from the lungs, airways, or bowel into the chest cavity. In underwater divers it is usually the result of pulmonary barotrauma.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Désiré-Magloire Bourneville</span> French neurologist (1840–1909)

Désiré-Magloire Bourneville was a French neurologist born in Garencières.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Alfred Becquerel</span> French physician and medical researcher

Louis Alfred Becquerel was a French physician and medical researcher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Pierre Falret</span> French psychiatrist

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Schnitzler syndrome or Schnitzler's syndrome is a rare disease characterised by onset around middle age of chronic hives (urticaria) and periodic fever, bone and joint pain, weight loss, malaise, fatigue, swollen lymph glands and enlarged spleen and liver.

Louis Gallavardin was a French physician and cardiologist remembered for the Gallavardin phenomenon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henri Huchard</span> French neurologist and cardiologist (1844–1910)

Henri Huchard was a French neurologist and cardiologist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georges Dujardin-Beaumetz</span>

Georges Octave Dujardin-Beaumetz was a French physician and hygienist. He was the father of biologist Édouard Dujardin-Beaumetz (1868–1947).

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slipping rib syndrome</span> Pain in the false ribs due to the partial dislocation of the costal cartilage

Slipping rib syndrome (SRS) is a condition in which the interchondral ligaments are weakened or disrupted and have increased laxity, causing the costal cartilage tips to subluxate. This results in pain or discomfort due to pinched or irritated intercostal nerves, straining of the intercostal muscles, and inflammation. The condition affects the 8th, 9th, and 10th ribs, referred to as the false ribs, with the 10th rib most commonly affected.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Gumbiner CH (January 2003). "Precordial catch syndrome". Southern Medical Journal. 96 (1): 38–41. doi:10.1097/00007611-200301000-00011. PMID   12602711.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 McMorran, Jim. "Precordial catch syndrome (PCS)". General Practice Notebook. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  3. 1 2 Huchard, Henri (1844-1910) Auteur du texte (9 May 1893). Traité clinique des maladies du coeur et des vaisseaux, par Henri Huchard,... Leçons de clinique et de thérapeutique, les cardiopathies artérielles, maladies de l'hypertension artérielle, maladies de l'hypertension artérielle, artério-sclérose généralisée, cardio-sclérose, aortites, angine de poitrine. 2e édition, entièrement remaniée – via gallica.bnf.fr.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ Lefert, Paul (18-19 ) Auteur du texte. Manuel du médecin praticien.... La pratique des maladies du coeur et de l'appareil circulatoire dans les hôpitaux de Paris, aide-mémoire et formulaire de thérapeutique appliquée / par le professeur Paul Lefert,... – via gallica.bnf.fr.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ Huchard, H. (Henri) (9 May 1899). "Traité clinique des maladies du coeur et de l'aorte". Paris, Doin – via Internet Archive.
  6. 1 2 "précordialgie". Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales.
  7. ↑ "praecordia". Oxford Dictionaries.
  8. ↑ Miller, A.J.; Texidor, T.A. (December 1955). "Precordial catch, a neglected syndrome of precordial pain". Journal of the American Medical Association. 159 (14): 1364–5. doi:10.1001/jama.1955.02960310028012a. PMID   13271083.
  9. ↑ Sparrow MJ, Bird EL (October 1978). "'Precordial catch': a benign syndrome of chest pain in young persons". The New Zealand Medical Journal. 88 (622): 325–6. PMID   282484.
  10. ↑ Pickering D (May 1981). "Precordial catch syndrome". Archives of Disease in Childhood. 56 (5): 401–3. doi:10.1136/adc.56.5.401. PMC   1627421 . PMID   7259265.
  11. ↑ Reynolds JL (October 1989). "Precordial catch syndrome in children". Southern Medical Journal. 82 (10): 1228–30. doi:10.1097/00007611-198910000-00007. PMID   2678498. S2CID   38707451.
  12. ↑ Hayes, Don; Younger, Bradley R.; Mansour, Heidi M.; Strawbridge, Heather (February 2016). "Precordial Catch Syndrome in Elite Swimmers With Asthma". Pediatric Emergency Care. 32 (2): 104–106. doi:10.1097/PEC.0000000000000715. ISSN   1535-1815. PMID   26835568.
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