Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Angor animi
Introduction
Synonyms and keywords: Angina animi; Gairdner’s disease; angina pectoris sine dolore
Overview
Overview
Angor animi (also referred to as angina animi, Gairdner’s disease and also angina pectoris sine dolore), in medicine, is a symptom defined as a patient’s perception that they are in fact dying. Most cases of angor animi are found in patients suffering from acute coronary syndrome such as unstable angina or acute myocardial infarction. It is, however, occasionally found in patients suffering from other conditions.
Angor animi is differentiated from a fear or desire for death, since angor animi refers to a patient’s actual and genuine belief that they are in the present act of dying. The phrase is derived from the two Latin terms which it is composed of, namely angor and animi.
Angor (different but related to the word anger), in modern English, refers to a great anxiety often accompanied by a painful constriction and palpitations at the upper abdomen and lower thorax (chest). Animi means an animating spirit, intention or temper.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]