Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 10, 2026
Author Spotlight: Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Gastric Content Assessment and Risk Stratification in Perioperative Care
Published on: September 22, 2023
[Gastroenterological diseases as triggers of chest pain]
1Innere Medizin, Diakonie Klinikum, Jung-Stilling-Krankenhaus Siegen, Wichernstr. 40, 57074, Siegen, Deutschland. j.labenz@t-online.de.
Insights
Gastroenterological diseases, particularly gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), are common causes of non-cardiac chest pain. Initial treatment with proton pump inhibitors is recommended, with further diagnostics for persistent symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Non-cardiac chest pain is a prevalent condition with significant gastroenterological origins.
- Understanding the distribution of causes is crucial across different healthcare settings.
- Cardiac causes must be ruled out, but do not preclude other pain sources.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review gastroenterological diseases causing chest pain.
- To develop a management algorithm for these conditions.
Main Methods:
- Selective literature search.
Main Results:
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or reflux-chest pain syndrome, is the most frequent cause.
- Proton pump inhibitors are the initial treatment for suspected GERD without alarm signals.
- Persistent symptoms warrant further investigation for reflux, motility disorders, esophageal structural damage, or upper abdominal conditions.
Conclusions:
- Functional chest pain, characterized by altered pain processing and hypersensitivity, is diagnosed after excluding organic diseases.
- Management of functional chest pain can be challenging.
- Esophageal hypersensitivity and mental comorbidities are key mechanisms in functional chest pain.
Background:
Non-cardiac chest pain is very common and gastroenterological diseases are one of the most important causes. The frequency distribution of the underlying causes depends on the sector of the healthcare system in which it is ascertained. In individual cases it must always be taken into consideration that detection of coronary heart disease, for example, does not exclude another origin of chest pain.
Objective:
This article provides a systematic review of gastroenterological diseases that can cause chest pain. Furthermore, a management algorithm was developed.
Material And Methods:
This article is based on a selective search of the literature.
Results And Discussion:
The most frequent cause is gastroesophageal reflux disease, which is also known as reflux-chest pain syndrome. If there are no clinical alarm signals, treatment is carried out with a proton pump inhibitor either as a diagnostic test or as a probatory therapy. If this initial management does not lead to satisfactory symptom control, extended diagnostics are indicated. In individual cases this concerns the detection or exclusion of a reflux disease, of motility disorders and structural damage to the esophagus as well as diseases of the upper abdominal organs, which can evoke chest pain. After exclusion of these morphologically and/or functionally defined diseases, a so-called functional chest pain is present. The essential mechanisms are altered pain processing, esophageal hypersensitivity and mental comorbidities. The treatment of functional chest pain often proves to be difficult.
More Related Videos
03:48Author Spotlight: Exploring the Mysteries of Sichuan's Herbal Medicine in Chinese Medicine Research
Published on: March 1, 2024
05:19Author Spotlight: An Effective Traditional Chinese Medicinal Treatment for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with Abdominal Distension
Published on: September 1, 2023
Related Concept Videos
01:30Other Disorders of Digestive System
01:29Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease II: Clinical Features and Management
Clinical Manifestations
GERD presents itself in a multitude of ways, with symptoms varying from person to person. The hallmark symptoms are...
01:29Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease I: Meaning and Pathophysiology
01:28Peptic Ulcer Disease III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
Few clinical manifestations differentiate gastric ulcers from duodenal ulcers. Distinctions in the location, timing, and pain relief are crucial for healthcare providers in differentiating between gastric and duodenal ulcers during clinical assessments.
01:30Peptic Ulcer Disease I: Introduction
An acute ulcer, marked by superficial erosion and minimal inflammation, swiftly resolves upon identifying and addressing the underlying cause. In contrast, a chronic ulcer persists, potentially eroding through the muscular wall and forming fibrous tissue.
Peptic ulcers can also be...
01:30Esophageal Strictures-I: Introduction
Etiology
The primary cause of esophageal strictures is long-standing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), accounting for about 70 to 80% of adult cases. Chronic acid reflux can lead to injury and scarring of the esophageal lining, culminating in...