Oesophageal manometry in noncardiac chest pain.

Chest pain of oesophageal origin is an important differential diagnosis in patients with cardiac chest pain. A preliminary survey of 40 patients with noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) revealed oesophageal motility disorder in 47.5%; achalasia cardia being the most frequent disease (47.3%). 15.8% of these patients with motility disorder had features of progressive systemic sclerosis and another 15.8% had non specific oesophageal motility disorder (variants). Compared to barium swallow, oesophageal manometry was found to be superior in the diagnosis of oesophageal motility disorder.