The irritable oesophagus--a frequent cause of angina-like pain.
33 patients with angina-like chest pain of oesophageal origin were investigated. In 8 (24%) the pain proved to be related to oesophageal motor disorders unaccompanied by gastro-oesophageal reflux; in 12 (36%) acid reflux contributed to chest pain; but in the remaining 13 (40%) identical chest pain episodes were due to various mechanisms including reflux without motor disorders, motor disorders without reflux, motor disorders without reflux but with positive acid-perfusion test, and acid reflux without motility disorders but with positive edrophonium-stimulation test. These data strongly suggest that the mechanism of pain in these patients is related to irritability of the oesophagus.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004491:Edrophonium; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D004945:Esophagoscopy; D004947:Esophagus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D011312:Pressure
D004491:Edrophonium