Abdominal Pain Differential (Comprehensive)
- Please add and edit to expand, to include even rare and unlikely DDx
- In no particular order
RUQ
Cholelithiasis, acute cholecystitis, cholangitis, biliary colic, acute hepatitis, PUD/perforated duodenal ulcer, right lower lobe pneumonia, pyelonephritis, pyonephrosis/renal abscess, psoas abscess, nephrolithiasis
LUQ
Gastritis, PUD, splenic abscess/rupture/infarct, left lower lobe pneumonia, pyelonephritis, nephrolithiasis
Epigastric
Gastritis, dyspepsia, pancreatitis, AMI, GERD, hiatal hernia, aortic dissection
Lower
Bladder distension, UTI
RLQ
Appendicitis, Meckel's, ectopic pregnancy, ovarian torsion, mittelschmerz, PID, TOA, urolithiasis, psoas abscess
LLQ
Diverticulitis, ectopic pregnancy, ovarian torsion, mittelschmerz, PID, TOA, urolithiasis, psoas abscess
Diffuse or Nonspecific
Early appendicitis, mesenteric ischemia, ischemic colitis, gastroenteritis, constipation, opioid bowel syndrome, intussusception, volvulus, peritonitis, AAA, SBO, LBO, spontaneuous bacterial peritonitis, secondary bacterial peritonitis, IBD, colitis, C. diff, infectious diarrhea, DKA, sickle cell crisis/complications, hyperparathyroidism, mesenteric venous thrombosis, endometriosis, GI malignancy, IBS, lactose intolerance, psychogenic/somatization, fibromyalgia
Female
PID, adnexal pathology, endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy, endometritis, leiomyoma, Mittelsmertz, Fitz-Hugh-Curtis
Rare
Aortic dissection, hemophilia (hematoma of bowel walls), high dose steroids (bowel perforation), celiac artery compression, SMA syndrome, Nutcracker syndrome, painful rib syndrome, wandering spleen, abdominal wall pain, abdominal migraine, mesenteric lymphadenitis, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, epiploid appendagitis, abdominal compartment syndrome, familial Mediterranean fever, hereditary angioedema, ACEi angioedema, acute intermittent porphyria, lead toxicity, vasculitis leading to mesenteric ischemia, mesenteric panniculitis
