Chest pain: cardiac and noncardiac causes

The perception and interpretation of pain in the thoracic cavity may be extremely variable. In this article the differential diagnosis of chest pain is reviewed with emphasis on the historical features that allow for a precise diagnosis. Beginning with the neural transmission of chest pain, the discussion continues with the various sources of chest pain, including pain arising from the heart, the pericardium, and the great vessels; the gastrointestinal tract; the lungs and the pleura; the chest wall; and miscellaneous causes.