Questionable usefulness of the edrophonium test in the diagnosis of non-cardiac retrosternal pain
Apollonio, G.; Dederding, J.P.; Bosson, R.; Baumann, R.; Loup, R.; Girard, L.; Miazza, B.; de Peyer, R.; Loizeau, E.
Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift 120(22): 830-832
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-7672 PMID: 2360008 Document Number: 351281
Of 69 patients with non-cardiac chest pain, one third had abnormal esophageal motility as evidenced by basal esophageal manometry. 8 patients (12%) reported chest pain during a provocation test (edrophonium). While this pain seemed similar to the spontaneous chest pain described by 7 patients, it was not associated with manometric changes in 30% of these cases. The causal relationship between disorders of esophageal motility and non-cardiac chest pain has still to be confirmed, and caution must be exercised in interpreting edrophonium tests.