Oesophageal function and chest pain in male patients with recent acute myocardial infarction

Oesophageal function and symptoms were investigated in 52 male patients 2-6 months after an acute myocardial infarction. Oesophageal function was tested by manometry, pH recording and acid perfusion test. Signs of oesophageal dysfunction (OD) were found in 17 patients (33%). This frequency did not differ significantly from that in a random male population sample, but was lower than in a group of male coronary care unit patients with no signs of a new or earlier myocardial infarction at discharge from hospital (p less than 0.05). All but two patients affirmed chest pain by questionnaire. At a verbal interview, 38 patients (73%) had a history of angina pectoris after discharge from hospital. Thirty-five (92%) of these patients had an ischaemic ECG reaction and/or recurrence of their anginal chest pain during the exercise test, one of them also had evidence of oesophageal origin of his chest pain. There were no signs of OD in the remaining three patients with a history of angina pectoris. Therefore, OD does not constitute a common problem in the differential diagnosis of anginal chest pain in patients with recent myocardial infarction.