ABSTRACT
Chest pain is the commonest presenting complaint in accident and emergency, but fortunately it is not common in pregnancy. Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is the most common congenital heart lesion, and the diagnosis is frequently made in young women of childbearing age. It carries a low risk in pregnancy and rarely requires intervention. MVP usually presents with atypical chest pain and mid-systolic murmur associated with a mid-systolic click. Thoracic aortic dissection is a sudden event in which a tear in the intimal wall of the aorta allows blood to escape from the true lumen of the vessel, rapidly separating the inner layer from the outer layer of the tunica media. Aortic dissection is rare in pregnancy and may be initially overlooked because its manifestations are similar to those for early labour. Pregnant women often experience epigastric discomfort that they may interpret as burning in the chest.
