Chest Pain and Costochondritis Associated with Vitamin D Deficiency : A Report of Two Cases

Abstract EN

Vitamin D is integral for bone health, and severe deficiency can cause rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.

Although osteomalacia can cause severe generalized bone pain, there are only a few case reports of chest pain associated with vitamin D deficiency.

We describe 2 patients with chest pain that were initially worked up for cardiac etiologies but were eventually diagnosed with costochondritis and vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D deficiency is known to cause hypertrophic costochondral junctions in children (“rachitic rosaries”) and sternal pain with adults diagnosed with osteomalacia.

We propose that vitamin D deficiency may be related to the chest pain associated with costochondritis.

In patients diagnosed with costochondritis, physicians should consider testing and treating for vitamin D deficiency.