[Clinical and therapeutic approaches in angina pectoris of esophageal origin]

The authors, on a basis of experience acquisted since 1984 on two groups of patients, respectively 55 and 174 subjects with angina like chest-pain, individuated in the first group 45%, and 66.1% in the second group, the presence of GER-EMD with the execution of functional stationary manometric and 24 hour pH-metrical exams, without undergoing chemical, pharmacological, mechanical stimulation. They make note that 43 patients out of the second group, underwent, after a certain time, another cardiological study (negative for heart disease when recluted) due to graveness of the symptoms and 33 risulted holders of heart disease, 24 of whom also affected with EMD. The treatment with anti-H2 and procinethycs had succes in 39 patients out of 59, with GER; 10 patients underwent, with success, Nissen-Rossetti funduplication. Medical treatment with sublingual nifedipine was successful in 17 cases out of 56, with EMD; 19 underwent esophageal miotomy surgery commisurated on manometrical dates, with excellent results; 8 patients with hypertension of LES underwent pneumatic dilation with good results; 12 patients live, tolleratig angina like chest-pain. The final considerations are the following: it is not indispensable to look for contemperaly EMD and pain to afferm that pain is of esophageal origin; EMD must be clearly defined; the exclusion primarily of heart pathology must not exclude the possibility of the insorgence of heart desease, in the presence of EMD; the medical therapy, satisfactory in GER, is scarsely efficent in EMD, the decision for surgery must be taken on the gravity of pain associated with an esophageal pathology well defined with numerous diagnostic exams.