cardiovascular disorders
Chest Pain
Etiology of Chest Pain
Many disorders cause chest pain or discomfort. These disorders may involve the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, neurologic, or musculoskeletal systems (see table Some Causes of Chest Pain ). Some disorders areimmediately life threatening: Overview of Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) (acute myocardial infarction/unstable angina) Thoracic Aortic Dissection None Pneumothorax (Tension) None Esophageal Rupture None Pulmonary Embolism (PE) (PE) Other causes range from serious, potential threats to life to causes that are simply uncomfortable. Often no cause can be confirmed even after full evaluation. Overall, themost common causesare Chest wall disorders (ie, those involving muscle, rib, or cartilage) Pleural disorders Gastrointestinal disorders (eg, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) , Overview of Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) and stable In some cases, no etiology of the chest pain can be determined. 