Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition

The Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (대한소아소화기영양학회)
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Diagnostic Approaches to Chronic Abdominal Pain in Children

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  • Park, Jae-Hong (Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Pusan National University)
  • 박재홍 (부산대학교 의학전문대학원 소아과학교실)
  • Received : 2011.02.27
  • Accepted : 2011.03.17
  • Published : 2011.03.30
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Abstract

Chronic abdominal pain (CAP) is a common complaint encountered in pediatric clinics and a great concern for patients and their caretakers as well as health care professionals. A constant challenge is detecting individuals with organic diseases or psychosomatic disorders from the majority of patients who have a functional disorder including functional dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome, functional abdominal pain, and abdominal migraine. Beginning with a detailed history and physical examination, physicians must determine a differential diagnosis of CAP by applying the symptom-based Rome III criteria to positively identify a functional disorder. These findings should then be further analyzed based on diagnostic clues and red flags that indicate the presence of specific organic diseases and/or the need for further testing. Once a functional diagnosis has been made or an organic disease is suspected, physicians can initiate an empiric therapeutic trial. Since psychological distress accompanies both organic and non-organic abdominal pain in children, a cooperative diagnostic approach involving pediatricians and psychiatrists is recommended.

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References

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Cited by

  1. Functional Abdominal Pain in Children vol.14, pp.3, 2011, https://doi.org/10.5223/kjpgn.2011.14.3.222