Esophageal Mast Cell Infiltration in a 32-Year-Old Woman with Noncardiac Chest Pain |
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Authors: | Keol Lee Hee Jin Kwon In Young Kim Kwai Han Yoo Seulkee Lee Yang Won Min Poong-Lyul Rhee |
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Institution: | Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea |
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Abstract: | Noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) is one of the most common esophageal symptoms and lacks a clearly defined mechanism. The most common cause of NCCP is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). One of the accepted mechanisms of NCCP in a patient without GERD has been altered visceral sensitivity. Mast cells may play a role in visceral hypersensitivity in irritable bowel syndrome. In this case, a patient with NCCP and dysphagia who was unresponsive to proton pump inhibitor treatment had an increased esophageal mast cell infiltration and responded to 14 days of antihistamine and antileukotriene treatment. We suggest that there may be a relationship between esophageal symptoms such as NCCP and esophageal mast cell infiltration. |
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Keywords: | Gastroesophageal reflux Mast cell Noncardiac chest pain |
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