Recently I was told I had Tietze syndrome. Is this serious?
No, it is somewhat of a bogus diagnosis. Patients often presents with chest pain and pain during breathing. Usually no cause can be found and the chest wall and ribs are tender to touch. It is felt that this may be caused by a virus. In most cases, the disorder spontaneously resolves. You can take a Motrin for the pain. Tiezte syndrome tends to be more common in patients with anxiety. Unfortunately, the chest pain is often confused with a pneumonia, heart attack or gallstones-so most people end up getting many unnecessary tests, which all turn up negative. The patient is usually left with a big bill.
