Abdominal pain causes
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
The causes of abdominal pain vary with the distribution of the pain. The distribution can be determined by various methods, such as into either abdominal quadrants or nine sections.
Causes Based upon Location
Diffuse Abdominal Pain | Intraperitoneal | Extraperitoneal | Epigastric and Upper Quadrant | Right Upper Quadrant | Right Lower Quadrant | Left Upper Quadrant | Left Lower Quadrant | Pelvic/Hypogastric Region
Selected Causes
- Abdominal wall injury/disruption:
- Abdominal cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES), also known as intercostal neuralgia
- Diverticulosis (rare)
- Mesenteric traction
- Muscle trauma
- Muscular infection
- Autoimmune:
- Diarrhea
- Digestive:
- Distention of visceral surfaces such as the hepatic or renal capsule
- Endometriosis
- Functional pain:
- Irritable bowel syndrome (affecting up to 20% of the population, IBS is the most common cause of recurrent, intermittent abdominal pain)
- Inflammation of bowel wall:
- Crohn's disease
- Diverticulitis
- Gastroenteritis
- Microscopic colitis
- Ulcerative colitis
- Mechanical obstruction of hollow viscera such as the small intestine, the appendix associated with appendicitis, the large intestine (e.g. by intussusception), the biliary tree (e.g. by gallstones), or the ureter (e.g. by urinary calculi)
- Meningitis
- Metabolic disturbance:
- Adrenal insufficiency
- Black widow spider bite
- C1-esterase inhibitor deficiency
- Diabetic ketoacidosis
- Lead poisoning,
- Porphyria
- Uremia
- Neurogenic pain:
- Herpes zoster
- Lyme disease (Lyme radiculitis or Bannwarth syndrome)
- Tabes dorsalis
- Parietal peritoneal inflammation
- Due to infection: inflamed or suppurative appendix in appendicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease
- Due to chemical irritation: perforated gastric or peptic ulcer; pancreatitis, Mittelschmerz, ruptured ectopic pregnancy
- Miscellaneous (Familial Mediterranean fever)
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Post-surgical adhesions
- Referred pain from:
- Genitals (testicular torsion)
- Coronary occlusion)
- The spine (radiculitis secondary to arthritis)
- The thorax (pneumonia
- Reproductive organs (in women):
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Mittelschmerz
- Torsion of the ovary
- Vascular disturbances (leading to ischemia):
- Embolism
- Left renal vein entrapment
- Sickle cell anemia
- Superior mesenteric artery syndrome (Nutcracker syndrome)
- Thrombosis
- Torsional occlusion (volvulus)
- Vascular rupture
Acute Abdomen
Common causes of acute abdomen include:
- Acute appendicitis
- Acute cholecystitis
- Acute diverticulitis
- Acute intestinal ischemia
- Acute pancreatitis
- Acute peptic ulcer and its complications
- Acute peritonitis
- Acute ureteral colic
- Bowel perforation with free air or bowel contents in the abdominal cavity
- Bowel volvulus
- Diabetic ketoacidosis
- Ectopic pregnancy with tubal rupture
Chronic Functional Abdominal Pain
Common causes of CFAP stem from:
- Abdominal etiologies
- Gynecologic etiologies
- Dysmenorrhea
- Endometriosis
- Müllerian abnormalities
- Ovarian abnormalities
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
Causes of Abdominal Pain by Organ System
Causes of Abdominal pain in Alphabetical Order