Left-sided chest pain: a case report of intra-abdominal aetiology

A 44-year-old African-American male presented to the emergency department with progressive left-sided anterior chest pain of 1-month duration, which was rated six out of 10 in intensity. Associated symptoms included nocturnal dry cough and tenderness to touch. The patient's symptoms were relieved with ibuprofen. When questioned, the patient denied having fever, chills, dyspnoea, weight loss, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, change in bowel habits, constipation or a history of trauma. There was no previous history of medical problems or prior surgical procedures, and no known drug allergies. The patient was unemployed and, hence, did not experience occupational exposures. He denied any previous travel history and animal exposure. The patient drank 2 pints of beer per day and smoked 2 cigarettes per day, but denied illegal drug use. Taking a family history revealed that his mother had cirrhosis, although the rest of the family was alive and well.