Diagnostic Evaluation of Nontraumatic Chest Pain in Athletes.

This article is a clinically relevant review of the existing medical literature relating to the assessment and diagnostic evaluation for athletes complaining of nontraumatic chest pain. The literature was searched using the following databases for the years 1975 forward: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; CINAHL; PubMed (MEDLINE); and SportDiscus. The general search used the keywords chest pain and athletes.

Left Ventricular Non-Compaction in Athletes: To Play or Not to Play.

Isolated left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) has usually been viewed as a rare cardiomyopathy in athletes. However, with advances in diagnostic imaging techniques and increased use of pre-participation screening electrocardiograms (ECGs), apparent LVNC is being recognized in an increasing number of athletes. Given the lack of a true gold standard for diagnosis, significant debate continues regarding optimal diagnostic criteria.

Venous thoracic outlet syndrome: approach to diagnosis and treatment with focus on affected athletes.

Venous thoracic outlet syndrome is a relatively rare condition. One variety that is related to effort, often referred to as Paget-Schroetter syndrome, is seen more often in persons who are athletic or occupationally active. This condition can have significant morbidity if left untreated.

Office-based ultrasound in sports medicine practice.

Increasing knowledge, interest, and visibility in the field of sports medicine has equipped clinicians in the field with a novel array of diagnostic and therapeutic options but has also provided a higher level of complexity in patient care. True understanding of the vast spectrum of radiographic technology available to the sports clinician has become more critical than ever. Advances particularly in the areas of magnetic resonance imaging, diagnostic office ultrasound, and 3-dimensional reconstruction computed tomography, as well as nuclear medicine, offer the clinician a myriad of diagnostic options in patient evaluation.