Anginalike pain and normal coronary arteries. Uncovering cardiac syndromes that mimic CAD.

Department of Internal Medicine, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pennsylvania 17822, USA. mmirza@geisinger.edu

Atherosclerotic CAD is the most common cause of cardiac chest pain in Western countries. Other cardiac syndromes may also cause anginalike pain and may be difficult to differentiate from atherosclerotic CAD. It is essential to make this distinction, because management and prognosis of these conditions are entirely different. A detailed history and, in some cases, special diagnostic methods can help make the diagnosis. When evaluating patients with anginalike chest pain and normal coronary arteries, physicians need to consider this group of diseases and tailor workup and diagnosis on an individual basis.

PMID: 15948368 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]