Precordial catch syndrome in children

Abstract

Precordial catch syndrome was diagnosed in ten children whose primary complaint was chest pain. From published reports, nine characteristics of the pain were derived and their occurrence rate determined retrospectively in the ten patients. A close correspondence in type of pain was found between patients in previous reports and those I studied. Precordial catch pain typically is sudden, brief, periapical, easily localized, nonradiating, nonexertional, and importantly, intensified by inspiration. This study further validates the syndrome, reports its occurrence in children in the United States for the first time, and indicates more certainly the pain attributes one seeks for diagnosis.