Causes of Abdominal Pain

From: the Wikipedia

The following is an incomplete list of possible causes of abdominal pain.[1]

Gastrointestinal
Inflammatory: gastroenteritis, appendicitis, gastritis, esophagitis, diverticulitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, microscopic colitis

Obstruction: hernia, intussusception, volvulus, post-surgical adhesions, tumours, superior mesenteric artery syndrome, severe constipation, hemorrhoids

Vascular: embolism, thrombosis, hemorrhage, sickle cell disease, abdominal angina, blood vessel compression (such as celiac artery compression syndrome)

digestive: peptic ulcer, lactose intolerance, celiac sprue (affecting 1:133 people), food allergies, Jasohnstritis

Bile system
Inflammatory: cholecystitis, cholangitis
Obstruction: cholelithiasis, tumours

Liver
Inflammatory: hepatitis, liver abscess

Pancreatic
Inflammatory: pancreatitis

Renal and urological
Inflammation: pyelonephritis, bladder infection
Obstruction: kidney stones, urolithiasis, Urinary retention, tumours

Vascular: left renal vein entrapment

Gynecological or obstetric

Inflammatory: pelvic inflammatory disease

Mechanical: ovarian torsion

Endocrinological: menstruation, Mittelschmerz
Tumors: endometriosis, fibroids, ovarian cyst, ovarian cancer
Pregnancy: ruptured ectopic pregnancy, threatened abortion

Abdominal wall
muscle strain or trauma
muscular infection

neurogenic pain: herpes zoster, radiculitis in Lyme disease, abdominal cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES), tabes dorsalis

Referred pain
from the thorax: pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, ischemic heart disease, pericarditis
from the spine: radiculitis
from the genitals: testicular torsion

Metabolic disturbance
uremia, diabetic ketoacidosis, porphyria, C1-esterase inhibitor deficiency, adrenal insufficiency, lead poisoning, black widow spider bite, narcotic withdrawal

Blood vessels
aortic dissection, abdominal aortic aneurysm

Immune system
sarcoidosis
vasculitis
familial Mediterranean fever
Idiopathic
irritable bowel syndrome (affecting up to 20% of the population, IBS is the most common cause of recurrent, intermittent abdominal pain)

Blogger Comment:
Aute abdominal pain is described for pain less than 24 hour acute and severe in most part. In infants and old people the pain can be milder or difficult to appreciate. It is either referred meaning comes from other place and commonly no tenderness in the area where pain is referred to. A severe inflammation, perforation strangulation is likely in this condition.

Chronic abdominal pain is milder form of pain that usually comes and goes but may be steady but low grade irritable colon is most common cause, cancer with a felt mass or unfelt is important in people over 50 years old. Common chronic abdominal pain occur with esophaitis, gastritis , pepetic ulcer disease and chronic constipation. Acute or reccurent chronic pain usually severe is common with both renal stones and billiary stones. Radiculitis is one of the commoly missed diagnsois until significant vertebarl pain and tenderness become obvious. Some rare causes of chronic pain are: porphyria, C1-esterase inhibitor deficiency, adrenal insufficiency, lead poisoning, narcotic withdrawal...

Diagnosis of Abdominal pain:

1- Rigidity, signifcant tenderness and rebound tenderness are typical of acute abdomen.

2- Pain with no tenderness is more suggestive of cardiopulmonary process if in the upper abdomen, renal stones: if in the flanks, back and groin with positive urinalysis for blood or radicular pain from thoracic spine.

3- KUB particularly in supine position will show free air in perforation and fluid levels in obstruction.

4- In acute cholecystitis: US RUQ will likely show stones and signs of cholecystitis.

5- CT Abdomen with no contrast for renal stones protocol will show the stone in most of cases.

6- Pevic pain in women commonly require pelvic ultrasound and gyncecological referral.