Chondritis is inflammation of
cartilage
Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints as articular cartilage, and is a structural component of many body parts including the rib cage, the neck ...
.
It takes several forms,
osteochondritis
Osteochondritis is a painful type of osteochondrosis where the cartilage or bone in a joint is inflamed.
It often refers to osteochondritis dissecans (OCD). The term ''dissecans'' refers to the "creation of a flap of cartilage that further disse ...
,
costochondritis
Costochondritis, also known as chest wall pain syndrome or costosternal syndrome, is a benign inflammation of the upper costochondral (rib to cartilage) and sternocostal (cartilage to sternum) joints. 90% of patients are affected in multiple ri ...
, and
relapsing polychondritis
Relapsing polychondritis is a multi-systemic condition characterized by repeated episodes of inflammation and deterioration of cartilage. The often painful disease can cause joint deformity and be life-threatening if the respiratory tract, hear ...
among them. Costochondritis is notable for feeling like a heart attack.
See also
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Chondropathy
*
Chondrolysis
*
Perichondritis
Perichondritis is inflammation of the perichondrium, a layer of connective tissue which surrounds cartilage. A common form, auricular perichondritis (''perichondritis auriculae'') involves infection of the pinna due to infection of traumatic or ...
, commonly involving the outer ear
*
Relapsing polychondritis
Relapsing polychondritis is a multi-systemic condition characterized by repeated episodes of inflammation and deterioration of cartilage. The often painful disease can cause joint deformity and be life-threatening if the respiratory tract, hear ...
References
Rheumatology
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