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Atypical chest pain

Magdalena Stachura1, Janusz Dubejko

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Division of Cardiologic Critical Care, the Ministry of Interior and Administration Hospital, Lublin, Poland. magdas10@onet.eu

Polskie Archiwum Medycyny Wewnetrznej
|January 15, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Recurrent chest pain in elderly patients may stem from non-cardiac origins. This case highlights osteoporotic vertebral fractures as a potential cause of chest pain, even with normal cardiac test results.

Area of Science:

  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Cardiology
  • Orthopedics

Background:

  • Chest pain is a frequent medical complaint, often necessitating thorough evaluation to rule out acute cardiac conditions.
  • Atypical chest pain with normal cardiac biomarkers and electrocardiogram results warrants consideration of non-cardiac etiologies.

Observation:

  • A 90-year-old female presented with recurrent episodes of chest pain.
  • Initial investigations for cardiac causes, including electrocardiogram and myocardial necrosis markers, were within normal limits.

Findings:

  • The patient was ultimately diagnosed with osteoporotic vertebral fractures in the thoracic spine.
  • These fractures were identified as the source of her atypical chest pain.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the importance of considering skeletal pathologies, such as osteoporotic vertebral fractures, in the differential diagnosis of chest pain in the elderly.
  • It highlights the need for a comprehensive diagnostic approach beyond cardiac evaluations for atypical chest pain presentations.

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