Published on: 5/6/2025
Chest pain above the left breast can be caused by problems with the muscles and cartilage (like costochondritis), veins under the skin (such as Mondor’s disease), or even heart-related issues like angina.
When you feel pain on the left side of your chest, right above your breast, there are a few reasons that could be causing it. One common cause is costochondritis. This happens when the cartilage that connects your ribs to your breastbone gets swollen or irritated, making the area sore. Another possibility is a rare condition called Mondor’s disease, where some of the veins just under the skin develop inflammation or clots, leading to sharp pain. In some cases, chest pain in this area could also be related to heart problems. Angina, for example, is when your heart does not get enough blood, and it can cause pain in parts of the chest, though this pain sometimes feels different from pain in the rib areas. There are also cases where heart rhythm issues, like a left bundle branch block, can mimic pain that feels like it is coming from the heart. Since many different factors can cause chest pain, it is important to have a doctor check your symptoms so they can find the right reason and help you feel better.
(References)
Pipal DK, Pipal VR. Mondor's Disease: A Rare Cause of Chest Pain. Cureus. 2022 Feb 17;14(2):e22320. doi: 10.7759/cureus.22320. PMID: 35317031; PMCID: PMC8934013.
Malozzi C, Wenzel G, Karumbaiah K, Courtney M, Omar B. Chest pain associated with rate-related left bundle branch block and cardiac memory mimicking ischemia. J Cardiol Cases. 2013 Dec 12;9(3):87-90. doi: 10.1016/j.jccase.2013.10.008. PMID: 30534304; PMCID: PMC6277911.
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