Chest Pain in Children and Adolescents

Kyung Lim Yoon

doi:10.5124/jkma.2010.53.5.407

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Yoon: Chest Pain in Children and Adolescents

Continuing Education Column

Journal of the Korean Medical Association

Journal of the Korean Medical Association 2010; 53(5): 407-414.

Published online: 31 May 2010

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2010.53.5.407

Chest Pain in Children and Adolescents

Kyung Lim Yoon, MD

Department of Pediatrics, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Korea.

Corresponding author: Kyung Lim Yoon. ykr3215@khnmc.or.kr

Abstract

Chest pain is a very common symptom in children and adolescents. Musculoskeletal pain is the most common cause of their chest pain and the cardiac cause is very rare in children and adolescents. However, evaluation is required for every patient with chest pain, especially for those with the history and physical examination of importance. For common chest pains, reassurance and education of the patient and the parents about their benign nature is sufficient. On the other hand, chest pain on exertion, symptoms of myocardial ischemia, or abnormal cardiac examinations are more likely to be of cardiac origin, and prompt referral to a pediatric cardiologist is recommended.

Keywords: Chest pain, Children, Adolescents, Musculoskeletal, Cardiac

Figures and Tables

Table 1

Noncardiac causes of chest pain in children

Table 2

Cardiac causes of pediatric chest pain

ALCA: anomalous left coronary artery, ALCAPA: anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from pulmonary artery, LVOT: left ventricular outflow tract, SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus

Table 3

History and physical examination of a pediatric patient who has chest pain

Table 4

Reasons to refer children who have chest pain to a cardiologist

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