Chest Injuries and Disorders: What's in the Chest and What Can Go Wrong

What the chest holds

The chest — medically, the thorax — is the part of the body between the neck and the abdomen. It holds many structures for breathing, digestion, circulation and other vital functions:

• the ribs and breastbone;
• the esophagus — the tube from mouth to stomach;
• the trachea — the windpipe;
• the bronchi — tubes carrying air from the windpipe to the lungs;
• the lungs;
• the pleura — a thin layer of tissue covering the lungs and lining the chest wall;
• the heart and large blood vessels;
• the thymus — a gland that is part of the immune system;
• nerves.

Injuries and disorders

These are problems affecting any organ or structure in the chest. Examples:

• broken ribs;
• esophagus disorders and swallowing disorders (dysphagia);
• tracheal and bronchial disorders;
• lung diseases and collapsed lung;
• pleural disorders;
• heart diseases;
• mediastinal diseases — tumors, inflammation and other problems in the mediastinum, the space between the lungs, breastbone and spine;
• thoracic aortic aneurysm;
• thoracic outlet syndrome.

Injuries can come from the force of car accidents, falls or sports, or from a bullet or sharp object piercing the chest. Because the chest holds so much that's vital, some chest injuries can be life-threatening.

Diagnosis

It depends on your symptoms and whether you've been injured. Injuries are usually obvious, but in most cases tests show how serious they are. Tests include:

• imaging tests;
• heart tests;
• lung function tests;
• bronchoscopy;
• pleural fluid analysis;
• dysphagia tests;
• biopsy.

Treatment depends on the injury or disorder.

Sources

Based on the MedlinePlus health topic "Chest Injuries and Disorders," National Library of Medicine; a work of the United States government in the public domain.