What Causes Sternum Pain?

Sternum pain, when associated with a clear history of trauma, is typically attributed to sternal injury or soft tissue injury in the sternal region. In contrast, unexplained sternum pain or tenderness without a definite traumatic history raises greater suspicion for hematologic disorders, such as anemia, aplastic anemia, or leukemia.

Pain located behind the sternum generally warrants evaluation for esophageal, mediastinal, or cardiac conditions—such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), esophageal cancer, mediastinal tumors, angina pectoris, or myocardial infarction.Another common presentation involves pain on both sides of the sternum, which is frequently caused by costosternal joint inflammation or costochondritis. Therefore, patients experiencing sternum pain are advised to seek medical evaluation at a hospital for appropriate diagnostic testing and definitive diagnosis.