Reliability of computed tomography in the initial diagnosis and follow-up evaluation of Tietze's syndrome: case report with review of the literature.

The clinical entity of Tietze's syndrome is well known. It is benign in nature, self-limiting, and of unknown etiology. Computed tomography has proved most helpful in the initial evaluation of this disorder, especially as roentgenographic plain films have been essentially noncontributory in the past. A case of this disorder was followed up over the course of 2 months, and the clinical and computed tomography findings were correlated. The authors believe that computed tomography is the most exact and reliable modality for the follow-up evaluation of patients with Tietze's syndrome.