[Neurologic features of cervical osteokhondrosis with pseudocardiac and cardiac pain syndromes]

The authors examined 100 patients in whom cervical osteochondrosis developed with pain in the heart, intercostal, sternum area, left hand, as well as radicle, pain, vegetative and reflectory-dystrophical disturbances. The differential diagnosis between pseudocardialgia and cardialgia, on the one hand, and stenocardia, on the other, is not always simple and is based on clinical data, x-ray and ECG examinations. The basis of the pathogenesis in pseudocardialgia is the irritation of posterior sensory radicles by osteophytes or disc protrusion. Cardialgia is an incarceration and excitation of sympathical nerves, leading to disturbances in the myocardial metabolism. A comprehensive conservative treatment may give a favourable effect in the majority of patients, while indications for surgical operations are very rare.