Abdominal Pain

Abstract

Abdominal pain is a common yet challenging outpatient complaint which may be due to a systemic disease, an intra-abdominal visceral condition, or referred pain from outside the abdominal cavity. Classifying abdominal pain as an acute or chronic process and then further characterizing it by location of the pain is the key to formulating an initial differential diagnosis. While the history elicits this information and physical exam usually provides additional information, often the most useful tool is focused, appropriate imaging. Chronic abdominal pain evaluation relies primarily on history to establish a pattern, since the physical exam, laboratory tests, and imaging studies are unremarkable in functional pain syndromes, the most common etiologies. Successful treatment of acute abdominal pain is heavily dependent on the etiology, whereas many chronic, functional pain disorders are treated best with a multidisciplinary approach including a successful therapeutic primary care relationship, psychotherapy, and lifestyle modification, along with medication.