non-central chest pain

Last reviewed 01/2018

A non-central chest pain does not rule out cardiac origin. It is not unknown for myocardial infarctions to present with for example shoulder pain without chest pain.

A non-central chest pain should also make the clinician consider other conditions in the differential diagnosis.

• pleuritic pain - this pain that is made worse on inspiration. Massive pulmonary embolism may cause central chest pain.
• shingles - pain that is classically localized to the dermatomes. It is unaffected by respiration.
• rib fractures - pain is felt at the site of fracture.
• ankylosing spondylitis
• tabes dorsalis
• gall bladder and pancreatic disease
• Tietz's syndrome