CLINICAL AND ANATOMICAL LANDMARKS FOR ABDOMINAL PAIN IN CHILDREN.

In children, many conditions, both digestive and extra digestive, with acute or chronic evolution, from mild to severe intensity, express themselves through abdominal pain. Recurrent abdominal pain is a descriptive term characterized by paroxysmal episodes of abdominal pain with variable duration. Chronic abdominal pains are defined by episodic pain, lasting at least one month but more commonly more than three months. Nonspecific abdominal pain is defined by episodic abdominal pain and normal physical examination. Functional abdominal pain is a clinical diagnosis. All these terms are characterized by abdominal pain in the absence of anatomic abnormality, inflammation, or tissue damage. Pain assessment involves establishing the location of pain, frequency, intensity and identifying the physio/pathological and psychological/social factors which contribute to its occurrence. The location of the abdominal pain site is extremely important in clinical practice because it helps in establishing the etiological diagnosis. Abdominal pain should be related to the classic topographic regions of the abdominal wall. The organic cause is characterized by a definite localization, different from the mesogastric region. The psychogenic or functional abdominal pain is generally diffuse, in periumbilical region. If the cause of abdominal pain is correctly established, the appropriate treatment can be administered. Recurrent abdominal pain continues to be the main cause of miss school in school-age children and of affecting the quality of life of both children and their family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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