Costochondritis

The prognosis of idiopathic costochondritis is excellent, and most patients respond to treatment. The condition may relapse and can last from a few weeks to up to 1 year or more. Eventually, symptoms resolve spontaneously without sequelae.

Patients who have recurrent episodes require a repeated course of treatment and referral to a rheumatologist to rule out potential underlying rheumatic disease.

Prognosis is usually good for patients with appropriately treated bacterial costochondritis associated with intravenous drug use. Postsurgical septic costochondritis may have a relatively worse prognosis and generally requires further surgical debridement. Residual pain arising from secondary degenerative changes may occur in some cases.