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Glite Dictionary
costochondritis

costochondritis

1 9.9
Swelling and pain in the soft tissue where a rib joins the breastbone that is tender when touched
  • noun
  • /ˌkɔstəˌkɒnˈdraɪtɪs/
  • Specialized
: costocondritis
  • She was diagnosed with costochondritis after experiencing chest pain.

Examples

  • The doctor explained that costochondritis is often mistaken for heart issues.

  • The doctor diagnosed his chest pain as costochondritis after ruling out heart problems.

  • Many people with costochondritis experience tenderness when pressing on their chest.

  • Physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medication are often recommended for managing costochondritis.

  • The doctor diagnosed her with costochondritis after she complained of sharp chest pain.

  • He took medication to relieve the discomfort caused by costochondritis, which was making it hard to breathe.

  • During his check-up, the physician explained that costochondritis can often mimic heart problems due to its chest pain.

Synonyms

Tietze's syndrome
vscostochondritis
  • Specialized
7.5

Swelling and pain in the soft area where the upper ribs meet the breastbone that causes chest pain

involves pain of rib-to-breastbone cartilage without required swelling

Surface Forms

costochondritis singular
costochondritides plural

Morphology

costochondritis = costochondral (opaque) = costo + chondr + itis

The term is derived from specialized medical roots, making it opaque to those unfamiliar with medical terminology.

Etymology

The word costochondritis comes from three parts: costo- meaning 'rib', chondro- meaning 'cartilage', and -itis meaning 'inflammation', the same -itis you see in arthritis or tonsillitis. So costochondritis is the inflammation of the cartilage that connects a rib to the breastbone, which explains the local chest pain.