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Published on: August 18, 2016
Cervical angina: an overlooked source of noncardiac chest pain
Walter I Sussman1, Steven A Makovitch1, Shabbir Hussain I Merchant1
1Department of Medicine, Saint Vincent Hospital, Worcester, MA, USA.
Insights
Cervical angina, a cause of chest pain, is often underrecognized. Prompt diagnosis requires awareness of its varied symptoms and clinical findings.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
Background:
- Cervical angina is a recognized cause of chest pain.
- It is frequently underdiagnosed in clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the varied clinical presentations of cervical angina.
- To emphasize the diagnostic delays and unnecessary cardiac evaluations patients undergo.
- To improve recognition of cervical angina in patients presenting with acute chest pain.
Main Methods:
- Case series review.
- Analysis of clinical presentations.
- Evaluation of diagnostic pathways.
Main Results:
- Patients exhibit diverse symptoms and clinical findings.
- Significant delays in diagnosis are common.
- Extensive cardiac workups are frequently performed before a correct diagnosis.
Conclusions:
- Cervical angina requires a high index of suspicion for accurate diagnosis.
- Clinicians must be aware of the common features of cervical angina.
- Timely recognition can prevent unnecessary cardiac investigations.
Abstract:
Cervical angina has been widely reported as a cause of chest pain but remains underrecognized. This series demonstrates the varied clinical presentation of patients with cervical angina, the delay in diagnosis, and the extensive cardiac examinations patients with this condition typically undergo prior to a definitive diagnosis. Recognition of this condition in patients with acute chest pain requires a high index of suspicion and an awareness of the common presenting features and clinical findings of cervical angina.
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