Atypical features of esophageal pain, such as arm distribution and exercise induction, can mimic cardiac pain and are not consistently reproduced by acid perfusion, highlighting the need for cardiologic evaluation.
Limited arm pain reproduction by acid perfusion suggests cardiologic evaluation in atypical cases; leaves open reliable differentiation from cardiac pain.
Esophageal pain was investigated in 200 consecutive patients prior to surgical correction of reflux. the pain has been analyzed to determine its characteristic and its atypical features. Arm distribution of pain and exercise induced pain were the most a typical features and led to diagnostic difficulty. Although acid perfusion studies reproduced some component of the pain in 94% of patients, reproduction of arm pain was possible in only 37.2% of those with this symptom. The importance of cardiologic evaluation in patients with atypical esophageal pain is emphasized.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Henderson et al. (1981) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: