The esophagus as a source of non-cardiac chest pain

Many patients present with chest pain and are subsequently found to have normal coronary angiography; investigation of these patients frequently stops once coronary artery disease has been ruled out. It is now clear that considerable morbidity may be associated with failure to make a definite diagnosis in these patients, and that efforts to identify a cause for the pain should continue within appropriate limits. This paper presents the evidence in support of an esophageal cause of non-cardiac angina. The authors emphasize the difficulty in distinguishing between cardiac and esophageal angina on the basis of clinical history and suggest an approach to investigation.