The Syndrome of the Hypersensitive Xiphoid

Abstract

MANY patients complain of pains in the chest, upper abdomen and shoulders that are not characteristic of any familiar disease. In the past seven years 24 patients have been observed in whom gentle pressure on an extraordinarily hypersensitive portion of the xiphoid reproduced much or all of their pain. Some of them had coronary-artery, arthritic, gastric, duodenal, gall-bladder or esophageal disease; others, however, seemed healthy except for their discomfort and tenderness. The xiphoid is not often examined routinely even in careful physical examinations. It is with the hope of encouraging further study of the hypersensitive xiphoid that this report is . . .