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Summary
The chest is the part of the body between your neck and your abdomen. It includes the ribs and breastbone. Inside your chest are several organs, including the heart, lungs, and esophagus. The pleura, a large thin sheet of tissue, lines the inside of the chest cavity.
Chest injuries and disorders include
- Heart diseases
- Lung diseases and collapsed lung
- Pleural disorders
- Esophagus disorders
- Broken ribs
- Thoracic aortic aneurysms
- Disorders of the mediastinum, the space between the lungs, breastbone, and spine
- Chest X-Ray (Chest Radiography) (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Also in Spanish
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What Is a Chest X Ray?
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
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What is Bronchoscopy? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
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What Is Chest MRI? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Treatments and Therapies
- Chest tube insertion - slideshow Also in Spanish
- Chest Tube Thoracostomy (American Thoracic Society) - PDF
Living With
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MedlinePlus: Pulmonary Rehabilitation (National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- What Is a Cardiothoracic Surgeon? (Society of Thoracic Surgeons)
Specifics
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Atelectasis (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Costochondritis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Mediastinitis (Merck & Co., Inc.)
- Rib Fractures (Merck & Co., Inc.)
Health Check Tools
- Chest Injury (DSHI Systems)
- Chest Pain, Chronic (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Mediastinal Diseases (National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Rib Fractures (National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Thoracic Diseases (National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Thoracic Injuries (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: IMAGES IN CLINICAL MEDICINE. Pneumorrhachis, Pneumothorax, and Subcutaneous Emphysema.
- Article: Risk of Stroke in Patients With Spontaneous Pneumothorax: A Nationwide,...
- Article: Bronchial Artery Pseudoaneurysm With Major Hemorrhage After Bronchial Thermoplasty.
- Chest Injuries and Disorders -- see more articles
Find an Expert
Children
- Costochondritis (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Pectus Excavatum (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Pectus excavatum repair - slideshow Also in Spanish
Teenagers
- Costochondritis (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Chest tube insertion Also in Spanish
- Costochondritis Also in Spanish
- Mediastinal tumor Also in Spanish
- Pectus excavatum Also in Spanish
- Rib fracture - aftercare Also in Spanish
