Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0000737 (abdominal pain)
 31,184 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Two casual clinical observations here reported allow the Authors to discuss the possible relationships between periodic syndrome and spasmophilia. Particularly they stress how these common causes of recurrent symptoms (abdominal pain, headache, growing pains, anxiety, irritability) can be the same clinical entity. This suspicion is confirmed by EMG investigation: 25 children with periodic syndrome (8 males, 17 females; 8-13 years) and 10 normal subjects (6-11 years) participate in this study. Post-ischemic EMG shows signs of neuromuscular hyperexcitability as in spasmophilia in 21 children (84%) of the first group and only in 3 of the second group. Such findings should be regarded as the first step towards a better definition of the relationships between periodic syndrome and spasmophilia.
 ...
PMID:[Comparison of periodic syndrome and spasmophilia]. 152 99

In part II of a two-part series, the psychological aspects of painful medical conditions and their treatment are reviewed. While considerable attention has been devoted to the study of personality, family characteristics, treatment of recurrent abdominal pain, growing pains and headaches, with few exceptions these studies have significant methodological problems. Studies of the psychological aspects of pain associated with such pediatric disorders as cancer, sickle cell anemia, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and burns are generally only beginning to emerge, but at least a few of the single-case studies show appropriate attention to methodology. Areas needing further research are discussed.
 ...
PMID:Psychological aspects of painful medical conditions in children. II. Personality factors, family characteristics and treatment. 354 Aug 11

Parents of 183 children identified them as having "pain in arms, legs, or joints during the previous 12 months." This group was compared with a group of children without pains selected randomly from the rest of a 1605-member community-based cohort in a study of chronic illness. The pains were most likely to be deep seated, to involve predominantly the lower limbs, and to be described in vague, nonspecific terms. These children were significantly more likely to have recurrent abdominal pain, a negative mood, and behavior problems, and to be aggressive, anxious, and hyperactive. There were no differences between the groups on any teacher ratings of behavior, temperament, social skills, or academic achievement. We conclude that children with "growing pains" are rated by their parents, but not their teachers, as having different temperamental and behavioral profiles than controls. These data suggest a psychosocial contribution to growing pains akin to that seen with other pain syndromes.
 ...
PMID:"Growing pains": clinical and behavioral correlates in a community sample. 911 92

Symptoms of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) can begin in childhood and persist into adulthood. To our knowledge, no one has done a systematic review of the literature to determine if the descriptions of 'growing pains' are consistent with the diagnosis of childhood RLS. Our group and that of Ekbom have noted that childhood onset RLS can be misdiagnosed as 'growing pains'. We therefore reviewed the work of seven groups of authors that addressed 'growing pains' as an isolated phenomenon in order to determine whether the descriptions of 'growing pains' were consistent with the clinical features of RLS. We found no consistent pattern in the descriptions even when articular pain was excluded. Thus, it is unlikely that all patients with 'growing pains' have RLS and it is likely that 'growing pains' is a heterogeneous disorder. The aforementioned authors were not looking for features unique to RLS and descriptions of the complete symptom complex of RLS are usually lacking. Further complicating the data are problems with methodology, e.g. in some studies small children and their parents were asked to retrospectively recall remote and infrequent events, and in other studies, articular pain was not adequately ruled out. Inconsistent with the hypothesis that RLS and 'growing pains' are the same are the high association of 'growing pains' with migraine headaches and abdominal pain. However, from this background emerge subsets of patients with 'growing pains' that are described as having one, some, or all of the following features consistent with the diagnosis of RLS: symptoms that are primarily in the legs, the patients rub their legs to get relief of the discomfort, the symptoms are worse at night, sleep disturbance is present and the discomfort is sometimes accompanied by motor restlessness A non-painful form of 'growing pains' has even been described. Ekbom and Brenning, a contemporary of Ekom, directly addressed the relationship between 'growing pains' and RLS. Ekbom felt that 'growing pains' and RLS were probably different since 'growing pains' disappear after childhood and one of his patients described her childhood 'growing pains' as being different from the sensory discomfort of her adult onset RLS. However, Brenning showed that RLS-like features in adulthood and a previous history of 'growing pains' in childhood occurred far more frequently in the parents of children with 'growing pains' than in control parents. More work needs to be done on the potential relationship between 'growing pains' and RLS.
 ...
PMID:Is there a subpopulation of children with growing pains who really have Restless Legs Syndrome? A review of the literature. 1459 26

Diffuse musculoskeletal pains in children and adolescents are common. Females are affected relatively more often. Whereas growing pains and joint hypermobility as possible causes tend to occur in younger children, fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) appears to be more frequent in adolescents. In growing pains, typically, a) the pains are localized to the thighs, shins, or calves, b) occur in the evening or at night; and c) are usually relieved by massage. Children are otherwise healthy and have normal growth and development. Children with joint hypermobility manifest pain mainly in the knees, ankles, and hips. Symptoms are aggravated by exercise, and mild effusions in the joints can occur. In patients with FMS, pain is generalized, and discrete anatomic points are specifically tender. As in adults with FMS, headaches, abdominal pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances are usually common. In contrast to the poor outcome of FMS in adults, some data suggest a better prognosis in children. These three syndromes have much in common and might overlap. The diagnosis of any of these diffuse pain syndromes is one of exclusion, and other conditions must be ruled out, including rheumatic disorders such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, psychogenic or somatoform disorders, child abuse, sexual abuse, and malignancies. Management is usually conservative and symptomatic; a multidisciplinary team approach may be helpful.
 ...
PMID:Diffuse musculoskeletal pain syndromes in pediatric practice. 1907 97