title: Tortuous aorta--a new cause for esophageal chest pain?
abstract: Three patients (average age 61 years) presenting with retrosternal pain were evaluated with barium studies of the upper gastrointestinal tract. In each case, the esophagus was significantly displaced by a tortuous aorta. All patients had sliding hiatal hernias; these hiatal hernias, and the esophagitis and disordered motility seen in our patients, could be a consequence of esophageal displacement by the tortuous aorta. Two patients were relieved symptomatically with antacids and metoclopramide. Thus, tortuosity of the thoracic aorta can cause esophageal chest pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Bombay.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramakantan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000473:pathology*; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006548:Hernia, Diaphragmatic / Q000150:complications*; D006551:Hernia, Hiatal / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged