costochondritis symptoms can be similar to the chest pain associated with a heart attack. chest pain is considered a medical emergency until life-threatening heart disease (such as an acute coronary syndrome) can be ruled out. severe cases of costal cartilage inflammation that also involve painful swelling are sometimes referred to as tietze's syndrome, a term sometimes used interchangeably with costochondritis. however, some physicians view costochondritis and tietze's syndrome as separate disease states due to the absence of costal cartilage swelling in costochondritis.