Retrosternal pain is a symptom common to which type of hernia?

Retrosternal pain, often described as discomfort behind the breastbone, is associated with conditions that affect the esophagus and surrounding structures. In the case of a hiatus hernia, this pain is particularly relevant because both sliding and paraesophageal hiatus hernias can impact the esophagus or the surrounding areas.

Sliding hiatus hernias occur when part of the stomach pushes up through the diaphragm into the chest cavity, often leading to gastroesophageal reflux, which can cause retrosternal pain as acidic stomach contents irritate the esophagus.

Paraesophageal hiatus hernias, on the other hand, allow part of the stomach to herniate alongside the esophagus, which can sometimes compress the esophagus or disrupt normal movement, leading to similar discomfort. Both types may present retrosternal pain depending on their specific anatomy and the extent of the herniation.

Therefore, the presence of retrosternal pain as a symptom for both types of hernias affirms the correctness of the choice that indicates this symptom is common to sliding and paraesophageal hiatus hernias.