A 48-year-old man presents with central and severe chest pain, which started around 1 hour ago. There is no radiation of the pain or associated shortness-of-breath. He has had some... A 48-year-old man presents with central and severe chest pain, which started around 1 hour ago. There is no radiation of the pain or associated shortness-of-breath. He has had some similar fleeting pains over the past 2 weeks but these settled spontaneously after a few seconds. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis? A. Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease B. Myocardial Infarction C. Pneumothorax D. Anxiety Read more

Understand the Problem

The question presents a clinical scenario of a 48-year-old man with central and severe chest pain and asks for the most likely diagnosis from four options provided. We need to analyze the symptoms and history given to determine the correct medical diagnosis.

More Information

Given the age of the patient and the nature of the chest pain being central and severe, myocardial infarction (heart attack) is a significant possibility. The fleeting pains experienced over two weeks could be angina, which is a warning of coronary artery disease.

Tips

A common mistake is to associate chest pain only with heart-related issues, when in reality it can have many causes including gastrointestinal or anxiety-related. It's important to consider all symptoms and their nature.

Sources

• 10 possible causes of chest pain that comes and goes - medicalnewstoday.com