Coronary arterial spasm versus esophageal spasm. Response to ergonovine

In this report we show that coronary arterial and esophageal spasm are sometimes clinically indistinguishable. Pain patterns can be identical, nitroglycerin can bring relief, interval electrocardiograms and exercise electrocardiograms generally disclose no abnormalities, coronary arteriograms may be within normal limits or nearly so, and, importantly, an ergonovine provocative test can provoke esophageal spasm accompanied by pain mistaken for Prinzmetal's angina. Accordingly, chest pain in response to the administration of ergonovine is not evidence of coronary arterial spasm without simultaneous arteriographic proof together with changes in the monitoring electrocardiogram. Conversely, gastroenterologists should not expose patients to the risk of ergonovine without prior assurance that the coronary arterial response is normal. Our observations illustrate these points and identify a patient with symptomatic esophageal spasm previously diagnosed as Prinzmetal's angina.