Chest pain in chronic sputum production: a neglected symptom.

One hundred and fifteen patients (80 with bronchiectasis and 35 with mucus hypersecretion alone) who produced sputum on a daily basis were asked if they had suffered chest pain unassociated with an acute exacerbation of their chest symptoms during the last six months. Those with bronchiectasis complained of 28 separate pains of which 18 were considered to be of respiratory origin. Seventeen of these 18 pains were in an area associated with a bronchiectatic lobe(s). Only six chest pains (three considered to be of respiratory origin) were found among the 35 patients with mucus hypersecretion.