Noncardiac chest pain and gastroesophageal reflux disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may manifest typically with heartburn and regurgitation or may have atypical manifestations as laryngitis, asthma, chronic cough or noncardiac chest pain (NCCP). While typical GERD is easy to be recognized, the atypical extraesophageal symptoms of the disease make the diagnosis difficult because most patients do not have heartburn or regurgitation. Most common atypical manifestations include ear, nose and throat (ENT), pulmonary or cardiac symptoms. GERD should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with atypical symptoms, especially when alternative diagnoses are excluded. NCCP is defined as recurring angina-like substernal chest pain of noncardiac origin. We present the most recent epidemiologic data, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of NCCP. The major causes of NCCP are GERD and esophageal dysmotility. By far, GERD has been demonstrated to be the most frequent source of NCCP. After a complete cardiac evaluation, the patient with NCCP will be referred to a gastroenterologist. All recent studies suggest the use of PPI test as the first diagnostic tool in patients with NCCP. The invasive diagnostic tests (especially, the 24-hour pH monitoring and esophageal manometry) are used only in those cases who do not respond to PPI therapy. Patients with GERD-related NCCP require long-term treatment with a PPI.