A benign inflammation of the ligaments connecting to the sternum or ribs, Tietze's Syndrome is most common among patients who have had thoracic surgery. The primary presentation of the syndrome is significant, acute pain in the chest or back, along with inflammation of the ligaments (palpable on examination) between the ribs. Inflammation is the first response of the immune system to infection or irritation and may be referred to as the innate cascade. ... A ligament is a short band of tough fibrous connective tissue composed mainly of long, stringy collagen molecules. ... Sternum or breastbone is a long, flat bone located in the center of the thorax (chest). ... This article is about the bones called ribs. ... In medicine, the field of (cardio)thoracic surgery is involved in the surgical treatment of diseases affecting the heart (cardiovascular disease) and lungs (lung disease). ...

The most likely cause of Tietze's Syndrome is virus introduction during surgery. Once present, the virus responsible for Tietze's will remain dormant and flare up at times when the patient's immune response increases; i.e., a patient will often have a recurrence of pain and inflammation when she or he catches a common cold. Three types of viruses: a bacterial virus, otherwise called a bacteriophage (left center); an animal virus (top right); and a retrovirus (bottom right). ... The common cold is a mild viral infectious disease of the nose and throat; the upper respiratory system. ...

Although patients will often mistake the pain of Tietze's Syndrome for a myocardial infarction (or heart attack), it is believed that the syndrome does not progress to cause harm to any organs. Doctors often reassure patients that their symptoms are not associated with a heart attack, although they may need to treat the pain, which can in some cases be severe enough to cause significant but temporary disability to the patient. A myocardial infarction occurs when an atherosclerotic plaque slowly builds up in the inner lining of a coronary artery and then suddenly ruptures, totally occluding the artery and preventing blood flow downstream. ...