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Query: UMLS:C0740577 (acute abdominal pain)
 1,982 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We performed a structured retrospective chart review to describe clinical characteristics of Emergency Department (ED) patients diagnosed by history, physical examination, and abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan with epiploic appendagitis (EA). EA is a disease caused by inflammation of the appendix epiploica, subserosal adipose tissue along the colon. It may mimic surgical causes of acute abdominal pain, but is treated conservatively with pain management. There were 19 patients diagnosed with EA, with follow-up performed on 85%. All had focal, nonmigratory symptoms. Common findings included left lower quadrant pain and guarding, and a normal temperature and white cell count. No patient required operation. This preliminary work characterizes some common clinical features of ED patients diagnosed with EA. As use of emergency CT scan for abdominal pain increases, clinicians will encounter this more often. These features should also prompt the clinician to consider CT scan in patients with similar signs and symptoms. Accurate diagnosis may avoid unnecessary surgery.
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PMID:Epiploic appendagitis: the emergency department presentation. 1180 50

Acute abdominal pain can represent a spectrum of conditions from benign and self-limited disease to surgical emergencies. Evaluating abdominal pain requires an approach that relies on the likelihood of disease, patient history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and imaging studies. The location of pain is a useful starting point and will guide further evaluation. For example, right lower quadrant pain strongly suggests appendicitis. Certain elements of the history and physical examination are helpful (e.g., constipation and abdominal distension strongly suggest bowel obstruction), whereas others are of little value (e.g., anorexia has little predictive value for appendicitis). The American College of Radiology has recommended different imaging studies for assessing abdominal pain based on pain location. Ultrasonography is recommended to assess right upper quadrant pain, and computed tomography is recommended for right and left lower quadrant pain. It is also important to consider special populations such as women, who are at risk of genitourinary disease, which may cause abdominal pain; and the elderly, who may present with atypical symptoms of a disease.
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PMID:Evaluation of acute abdominal pain in adults. 1844 63

Acute abdominal pain is a common presentation in the outpatient setting and can represent conditions ranging from benign to life-threatening. If the patient history, physical examination, and laboratory testing do not identify an underlying cause of pain and if serious pathology remains a clinical concern, diagnostic imaging is indicated. The American College of Radiology has developed clinical guidelines, the Appropriateness Criteria, based on the location of abdominal pain to help physicians choose the most appropriate imaging study. Ultrasonography is the initial imaging test of choice for patients presenting with right upper quadrant pain. Computed tomography (CT) is recommended for evaluating right or left lower quadrant pain. Conventional radiography has limited diagnostic value in the assessment of most patients with abdominal pain. The widespread use of CT raises concerns about patient exposure to ionizing radiation. Strategies to reduce exposure are currently being studied, such as using ultrasonography as an initial study for suspected appendicitis before obtaining CT and using low-dose CT rather than standard-dose CT. Magnetic resonance imaging is another emerging technique for the evaluation of abdominal pain that avoids ionizing radiation.
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PMID:Diagnostic imaging of acute abdominal pain in adults. 2588 45

Acute appendicitis is the most common cause of acute abdominal pain, requiring emergency surgery. Approximately one third of cases have pain unexcepted location due to its various anatomical location. Acute appendicitis is a very rare cause of left lower quadrant pain; if it occurs, a few congenital anomalies should be considered such as Situs Inversus totalis and Midgut Malrotation (MM). MM is a rare congenital anomaly; it occurs due to error in process of rotation or fixation of intestines around the superior mesenteric vessels and it refers to nonrotation or incomplete rotation of intestines. Here we report a case who presented with left lower abdominal pain and was diagnosed with acute perforated appendicitis with intestinal nonrotation. Clinicians should be aware that intestinal nonrotation may be presented with left lower quadrant pain and complicated by acute appendicitis.
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PMID:Intestinal nonrotation and left-sided perforated appendicitis. 2956 92