Differential Diagnosis For Chest Pain: Disease Categories

OVERVIEW

This page is dedicated to covering the differential diagnosis for abdominal pain by organizing conditions by disease categories.

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR DISEASE CATEGORIES?

When thinking about the differential for chest pain the following disease categories come to mind:

• Ischemic
• Mechanical 
• Inflammatory/Infectious

ISCHEMIC PROCESSES THAT CAN MANIFEST AS CHEST PAIN

Fundamentally ischemia can lead to tissue damage/death which can be a painful process. When thinking about chest pain this concept is no different.

• Myocardial infarction (STEMI, NSTEMI)
• Unstable angina 
• Stable angina 

MECHANICAL PROCESSES THAT CAN MANIFEST AS CHEST PAIN

There can of course be mechanical disease processes (such as blockage, collapse, compression, rupturing of structures) in the chest that can also be responsible for the presentation of chest pain. Some examples include:

Cardiovascular system:

• Aortic dissection
• Thoracic aortic aneurysm 
• Pericardial effusion

Respiratory system:

• Pneumothorax
• Pulmonary embolism

Gastrointestinal system:

• Esophageal perforation
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
• Peptic ulcer disease

INFLAMMATORY/INFECTIOUS PROCESSES THAT CAN MANIFEST AS CHEST PAIN

Inflammation can have various etiologies, however within itself it can be responsible for the presentation of chest pain. Some examples are included below.

• Pericarditis 
• Acute pancreatitis 
• Pneumonia
• Herpes zoster

Page Updated: 09.08.2016