Sternal pressure pain can have a variety of causes. Most self-reported sternal pressure pain may be caused by the patient’s hypersensitivity to pain, strenuous chest activity, or prolonged desk work. In a minority of patients, it may be due to acute leukaemia, multiple myeloma, malignant lymphoma and other malignant metastases to the bone; ankylosing spondylitis, sternal fractures and pleurisy may also cause sternal pressure pain.