[Psychological factors in non-cardiac chest pain].

This paper reviews the association between psychological factors and non-cardiac chest pain, with an emphasis on panic disorders. 50-70 per cent of patients referred to cardiac evaluation because of chest pain and for whom negative findings are obtained, continue to suffer from chest pain that is strongly associated with considerable social and occupational disability. Recent studies have shown that at least one third of these patients suffer from panic disorder. Panic disorder may also co-exist with coronary artery disease. Untreated, this disorder has an extensive morbidity. Physicians should attend to panic symptomatology in patients with non-cardiac chest pain and offer general and specific treatment.