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| Some causes of abdominal pain by location |
Abdominal pain is a common symptom for which many patients approach their physician.
The pain is described as stabbing, crampy, aching or burning and the intensity can vary from slight discomfort to agonizing pain.
Although it seems simple to diagnose the cause, abdominal pain in many cases can be very difficult and elusive. In fact in about 1 in 10 cases, no cause may be found.
Why is this so?
The abdomen is a part of the body that holds within it multiple organ systems viz the gastrointestinal system, the urinary system and internal genital organs (in the female). The great vessels of the body, the aorta and the inferior veins cava also pass through the abdomen. Apart from this there is a large potential space between the internal lining of the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum) and the muscles of the back and vertebral column. This space called the retro peritoneum contains multiple tissues like fat, nerve tissue and lymphatic tissue. Any of these may be the cause of abdominal pain and looking for a source can be like looking for a needle in the proverbial haystack.
To further befuddle the diagnostician, pain in abdomen may not be related to an abdominal source at all but may be the result of a problem in the organs of the chest including the ribs, lungs and their lining (pleura) or the heart and its covering sac ( pericardium).
As Pandora's box in Greek mythology
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora's_box had all the sins of the world trapped in it, the abdomen can have many problems trapped in it. Hence the abdomen is often called the 'Pandora's box of the body'.
To reach a diagnosis it is important to get a detailed clinical history, perform meticulous clinical examination and appropriate laboratory and radiological tests.
Abdominal pain particularly if acutely severe or chronic or longstanding can be challenging and should warrant attention by a trained gastroenterologist and should not be ignored.
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