A cause of right upper abdominal pain (also known as right upper quadrant or RUQ pain) may be suspected from its duration, relation to meals, medicines, breathing, body movements and accompanying symptoms.

In this article disorders that cause pain only or mainly in the upper right abdomen are described. 

continue reading Acute and Chronic Right Upper (RUQ) Abdominal Pain – Diagnosis

How to Determine a Cause of Abdominal Pain

The cause of abdominal (stomach) pain can be determined from:

1. Pain LOCATION:

• Right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain may be from gallstones, bile ducts dysfunction, liver diseases, right kidney or ureteral disorders or right adrenal gland
• Left upper quadrant (LUQ) pain may be from to pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer, spleen enlargement or rupture, trapped gas in the colon, left kidney or ureteral disorders, or left adrenal gland
• Upper middle abdominal pain may be from gastritis, stomach or duodenal ulcer or cancer, pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer, aortic aneurysm or dissection of abdominal aorta, lymph nodes enlargement in lymphoma or strained or injured muscles of abdominal wall
• Right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain may be from appendicitis, right colon inflammation in Crohn’s disease, right ovarian cyst or cancer or twisting, ectopic pregnancy, a stone in the right ureter, intestinal hernia.
• Left lower quadrant (LLQ) pain may be from diverticulitis, atherosclerosis of abdominal arteries, left ovarian disorder, ectopic pregnancy, a stone in the left ureter, intestinal hernia.
• Lower middle abdominal pain may arise from muscles of abdominal wall (stretching, injury, hypokalemia), menstruation, infection or cancer of the bladder, pelvic inflammatory disease, inflammation of urethra (mostly infection, including STDs), inflammation or cancer of the prostate, diseases of testes, epidydimis or seminal ducts.
• Abdominal pain that is hard to locate may appear in constipation or IBS.
• Diffuse abdominal pain may be from severe bloating or peritonitis.

continue reading Causes of Abdominal Pain – Diagnosis from Symptoms and Investigations