title: [Chronic chest pain].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chest pain is a symptom commonly reported by persons in the general population and represents a differential diagnostic challenge.
  
  
  METHODS
  The paper is based on a narrative review with a selective search of the literature in Medline for reviews and guidelines on the prevalence and treatment of non-malignant diseases with chronic chest pain in gastroenterology, gynecology and cardiology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence and current treatment recommendations for the different forms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), erosive and non-erosive types and irritable esophagus, non-cardiac chest pain, refractory angina in coronary heart disease and postmastectomy nand poststernotomy syndromes are presented. In cases of failure of the established therapy of a single medical discipline, an interdisciplinary assessment including psychosocial issues is recommended. Evidence-based guidelines are available for the management of GERD and of refractory angina. Treatment of postmastectomy and poststernotomy syndromes is based on case reports and expert opinion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need for controlled studies on the symptomatic treatment of pain in irritable esophagus, non-cardiac chest pain, postmastectomy and poststernotomy syndromes.
authors.affiliation: Innere Medizin II, Klinikum Saarbrücken gGmbH, Saarbrücken, Deutschland.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Görge
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grandt
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Häuser
mesh_terms: D002637:Chest Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans