Sunday Fundamentals VMR - April 5, 2026 - Chest Pain

Pleuritic Chest Pain: - Localization: Pericardium, pleura. Must differentiate whether these are the primary site or a secondary site of disease (e.g. MI->pericardial inflammation). Presence of a systemic syndrome can help broaden search for center of gravity of illness. - The recurrence and (-)CXR could point to autoimmune conditions/serositis. Pericarditis can also be caused by malignant and infectious etiologies. - EKG is often negative in patients with pericarditis.

Differential of a Mediastinal Mass: - Lymphoma, germ cell tumors, thymomas, thyroid carcinoma, neuroendocrine tumors.