Heartburn differential diagnosis

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: José Eduardo Riceto Loyola Junior, M.D.[2]

Overview

Heartburn must be differentiated from other diseases that cause chest pain, such as acute coronary syndromes.
Heartburn may also be differentiated from other diseases that cause dysphagia such as esophageal cancer, achalasia and eosinophilic esophagitis in high risk individuals.

Differentiating Heartburn from other Diseases

  • Heartburn must be differentiated from other diseases that cause chest pain, such as acute coronary syndromes.
  • Heartburn may also be differentiated from other diseases that cause dysphagia in high risk individuals.
  • Cardiac causes must be excluded since they can be life-threatening and may present with similar symptoms. In order to facilitate this, there's a table below which describes the life-threatening causes which must be differentiated:


Differentiating heartburn from angina [1] [2]
Heartburn (GERD) Angina or Heart Attack
Burning chest pain, begins at the breastbone Tightness, pressure, squeezing, stabbing or dull pain, most often in the center
Pain that radiates towards the throat Pain radiates to the shoulders, neck or arms
Sensation of food coming back to the mouth Irregular or rapid heartbeat
Acid taste in the back of the throat Cold sweat or clammy skin
Pain worsens when patient lie down or bend over Lightheadedness, weakness, dizziness, nausea, indigestion or vomiting
Appears after large or spicy meal Shortness of breath
Symptoms appears with physical exertion or extreme stress


While evaluating heartburn and considering gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) its most probable diagnosis, there's a diagnostic approach that must be performed in order to exclude other causes, especially in high risk patients, according the the American Journal of Gastroenterology guidelines[3] :

 
 
 
Classic symptoms of GERD
(heartburn and regurgitation)
 
If there are warning signs*:
upper endoscopy during the initial evaluation
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PPI 8-week trial
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
If better: GERD probable
 
If refractory, proceed to refractory GERD algorithm


 
 
 
 
 
 
Treat GERD:
Start a 8-week course of PPI
 
If there are warning signs*:
upper endoscopy during the initial evaluation
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Refractory GERD
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Optimize PPI therapy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
No response:
Exclude other etiologies
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Typical symptoms:
Upper endoscopy
 
 
 
 
 
Atypical symptoms:
Referral to ENT, pulmonary, allergy specialist
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Abnormal:
(eosinophilic esophagitis, erosive esophagitis, other)
Specific treatment
 
NORMAL
 
Abnormal:
(ENT, pulmonary, or allergic disorder)
Specific treatment
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REFLUX MONITORING
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Low pre test probability of GERD
 
High pre test probability of GERD
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Test off medication with pH or impedance-pH
 
Test on medication with impedance-pH
 
 
 
 
Differential Diagnosis
Disease Cause Symptoms Diagnosis Other findings
Pain Nausea & Vomiting Heartburn Belching or Bloating Weight loss Loss of Appetite Stools Endoscopy findings
Location Aggravating Factors Alleviating Factors
GERD
  • Spicy food
  • Tight fitting clothing

(Suspect delayed gastric emptying)

- - - - Other symptoms:

Complications

Acute gastritis Food Antacids - Black stools -
Chronic gastritis Food Antacids - H. pylori gastritis

Lymphocytic gastritis

  • Enlarged folds
  • Aphthoid erosions
-
Atrophic gastritis Epigastric pain - - - - H. pylori

Autoimmune

Crohn's disease - - - - -
  • Mucosal nodularity with cobblestoning
  • Multiple aphthous ulcers
  • Linier or serpiginous ulcerations
  • Thickened antral folds
  • Antral narrowing
  • Hypoperistalsis
  • Duodenal strictures
Peptic ulcer disease

Duodenal ulcer

  • Pain aggravates with empty stomach

Gastric ulcer

  • Pain aggravates with food
  • Pain alleviates with food
- - - Gastric ulcers
  • Discrete mucosal lesions with a punched-out smooth ulcer base with whitish fibrinoid base
  • Most ulcers are at the junction of fundus and antrum
  • 0.5-2.5cm

Duodenal ulcers

Other diagnostic tests
Gastrinoma - -

(suspect gastric outlet obstruction)

- - - Useful in collecting the tissue for biopsy

Diagnostic tests

Gastric Adenocarcinoma - - Esophagogastroduodenoscopy
  • Multiple biopsies are taken to establish the diagnosis
Other symptoms
Primary gastric lymphoma - - - - - - - Useful in collecting the tissue for biopsy Other symptoms
Manifestations Diagnostic tools
Achalasia
  • Dysphagia for solids and liquids is the most common feature, being seen in 91 % and 85% of patients respectively[14]
  • Regurgitation of undigested food occurs in 76-91% of patients[14]
  • Cough mainly when lying down in 30%[14]
  • Esophagogastroduodenoscopy findings include a dilated esophagus with residual food fragments, normal mucosa and occasionally candidiasis (due to the prolonged stasis).
  • Barium swallow shows the characteristic bird's beak appearance.
Barium swallow showing bird's beak appearance - By Farnoosh Farrokhi, Michael F. Vaezi. - Idiopathic (primary) achalasia. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases 2007, 2:38(http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2040141), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2950922
GERD
  • Retrosternal burning chest pain.
  • Cough and hoarseness of voice.
  • May present with complications such as strictures and dysphagia.[8]
  • Upper GI endoscopy shows the complications such as esophagitis and barret esophagus.
  • Esophageal manometry may show decreased tone of the lower esophageal sphincter.
  • 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring may be done to confirm the diagnosis.
Barret's esophagus - By Samir धर्म - taken from patient with permission to place in public domain, Copyrighted free use, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1595945
Esophageal carcinoma
  • Dysphagia
  • Odynophagia- fluids and soft foods are usually tolerated, while hard or bulky substances (such as bread or meat) cause much more difficulty[15]
  • Weight loss
  • Pain, often of a burning nature, may be severe and worsened by swallowing, and can be spasmodic in character
  • Nausea and vomiting[15]
  • Upper GI endoscopy and esophageal biopsy the gold standard for the diagnosis of esophageal
CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2587715
Corckscrew esophagus
  • Retrosternal chest pain that presents with or without food intake.[16]
  • The condition is not progressive and not causing complications.[17]
  • Barium swallow shows the characteristic corckscrew appearance of the esophagus.
Corckscrew esophagus - Case courtesy of Radswiki, Radiopaedia.org, rID: 11680
Esophageal stricture
  • Patient may present with the symptoms of the underlying GERD.
  • Dysphagia and odynophagia.[18]
  • Barium esophagography provides information about the site and the diameter of the stricture before the endoscopic intervention.[19]
Peptic stricture - By Samir धर्म - From en.wikipedia.org, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1931423
Plummer-Vinson syndrome Common symptoms of Plummer-Vinson syndrome include:[20][21][22]
  • Difficulty swallowing (more for solids)
  • Weakness
  • Pain
  • Burning sensation in mouth
  • Dry tongue
  • Painful cracks in the angles of a dry mouth
  • Pale color of the skin

Less cmmon symptoms

  • Cold intolerance
  • Reduced resistance to infection
  • Altered behavior
  • Craving for for unusual items (such as ice or cold vegetables)
Lab tests are consistent with the diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia.

Findings on an x-ray (barium esophagogram) suggestive of esophageal web/strictures associated with Plummer-Vinson syndrome appear as either:

Plummer-Vinson syndrome (Source: Case courtesy of Dr Hani Salam, <a href="https://radiopaedia.org/">Radiopaedia.org</a>. From the case <a href="https://radiopaedia.org/cases/14029">rID: 14029</a>)

References

  1. "Heartburn vs. heart attack - Harvard Health".
  2. Bösner S, Haasenritter J, Becker A, Hani MA, Keller H, Sönnichsen AC; et al. (2009). "Heartburn or angina? Differentiating gastrointestinal disease in primary care patients presenting with chest pain: a cross sectional diagnostic study". Int Arch Med. 2: 40. doi:10.1186/1755-7682-2-40. PMC 2799444. PMID 20003376.
  3. Katz PO, Gerson LB, Vela MF (2013). "Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease". Am J Gastroenterol. 108 (3): 308–28, quiz 329. doi:10.1038/ajg.2012.444. PMID 23419381.
  4. Sugimachi K, Inokuchi K, Kuwano H, Ooiwa T (1984). "Acute gastritis clinically classified in accordance with data from both upper GI series and endoscopy". Scand J Gastroenterol. 19 (1): 31–7. PMID 6710074.
  5. Sipponen P, Maaroos HI (2015). "Chronic gastritis". Scand J Gastroenterol. 50 (6): 657–67. doi:10.3109/00365521.2015.1019918. PMC 4673514. PMID 25901896.
  6. Sartor RB (2006). "Mechanisms of disease: pathogenesis of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis". Nat Clin Pract Gastroenterol Hepatol. 3 (7): 390–407. doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep0528. PMID 16819502.
  7. Sipponen P (1989). "Atrophic gastritis as a premalignant condition". Ann Med. 21 (4): 287–90. PMID 2789799.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Badillo R, Francis D (2014). "Diagnosis and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease". World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther. 5 (3): 105–12. doi:10.4292/wjgpt.v5.i3.105. PMC 4133436. PMID 25133039.
  9. Ramakrishnan K, Salinas RC (2007). "Peptic ulcer disease". Am Fam Physician. 76 (7): 1005–12. PMID 17956071.
  10. Banasch M, Schmitz F (2007). "Diagnosis and treatment of gastrinoma in the era of proton pump inhibitors". Wien Klin Wochenschr. 119 (19–20): 573–8. doi:10.1007/s00508-007-0884-2. PMID 17985090.
  11. Dicken BJ, Bigam DL, Cass C, Mackey JR, Joy AA, Hamilton SM (2005). "Gastric adenocarcinoma: review and considerations for future directions". Ann Surg. 241 (1): 27–39. PMC 1356843. PMID 15621988.
  12. Ghimire P, Wu GY, Zhu L (2011). "Primary gastrointestinal lymphoma". World J Gastroenterol. 17 (6): 697–707. doi:10.3748/wjg.v17.i6.697. PMC 3042647. PMID 21390139.
  13. Ferri, Fred (2015). Ferri's clinical advisor 2015 : 5 books in 1. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier/Mosby. ISBN 978-0323083751.
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Boeckxstaens GE, Zaninotto G, Richter JE (2013). "Achalasia". Lancet. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60651-0. PMID 23871090.
  15. 15.0 15.1 Napier KJ, Scheerer M, Misra S (2014). "Esophageal cancer: A Review of epidemiology, pathogenesis, staging workup and treatment modalities". World J Gastrointest Oncol. 6 (5): 112–20. doi:10.4251/wjgo.v6.i5.112. PMC 4021327. PMID 24834141.
  16. Matsuura H (2017). "Diffuse Esophageal Spasm: Corkscrew Esophagus". Am. J. Med. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2017.08.041. PMID 28943381.
  17. Lassen JF, Jensen TM (1992). "[Corkscrew esophagus]". Ugeskr. Laeg. (in Danish). 154 (5): 277–80. PMID 1736462.
  18. Ruigómez A, García Rodríguez LA, Wallander MA, Johansson S, Eklund S (2006). "Esophageal stricture: incidence, treatment patterns, and recurrence rate". Am. J. Gastroenterol. 101 (12): 2685–92. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.2006.00828.x. PMID 17227515.
  19. Shami VM (2014). "Endoscopic management of esophageal strictures". Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 10 (6): 389–91. PMC 4080876. PMID 25013392.
  20. López Rodríguez MJ, Robledo Andrés P, Amarilla Jiménez A, Roncero Maíllo M, López Lafuente A, Arroyo Carrera I (2002). "Sideropenic dysphagia in an adolescent". J. Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Nutr. 34 (1): 87–90. PMID 11753173.
  21. Chisholm M (1974). "The association between webs, iron and post-cricoid carcinoma". Postgrad Med J. 50 (582): 215–9. PMC 2495558. PMID 4449772.
  22. Larsson LG, Sandström A, Westling P (1975). "Relationship of Plummer-Vinson disease to cancer of the upper alimentary tract in Sweden". Cancer Res. 35 (11 Pt. 2): 3308–16. PMID 1192404.