A 50-year-old woman presents with chest pain that she describes as sharp and stabbing. The pain worsens with deep breaths and when she lies down. She denies any relationship with exertion. What could this indicate?
This presentation does not suggest angina, which is typically described as pressure-like pain and is related to exertion. Instead, these symptoms could suggest other conditions such as pericarditis, which is inflammation of the pericardium (the sac surrounding the heart). In this case, the pain is often sharp and can worsen with certain positions or deep breaths. Evaluation would typically include an ECG, and possibly an echocardiogram.