title: Slipping rib syndrome: a place for sonography in the diagnosis of a frequently overlooked cause of abdominal or low thoracic pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the sonographic appearance of a poorly recognized cause of low thoracic or upper abdominal pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three sonographic descriptions of slipping rib syndrome are presented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 3 patients had abnormal mobility of a cartilaginous rib, which could slip over an adjacent rib during abdominal muscle contraction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Slipping rib syndrome should be considered in patients with histories of upper abdominal or low thoracic pain of unknown origin. We suggest that high-resolution sonography of the costal margin should be added to abdominal sonography in cases of nonspecific abdominal pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jean-Yves
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Meuwly
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wicky
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schnyder
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lepori
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D000328:Adult; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D012272:Ribs / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013577:Syndrome; D014463:Ultrasonography