Page Contents
OVERVIEW
This page is dedicated to covering the differential diagnosis for upper abdominal pain. This differential will be organized by disease categories.
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR DISEASE CATEGORIES?
When thinking about the differential for upper abdominal pain the following disease categories come to mind:
- Inflammatory
- Infectious
- Cardiovascular
- Malignant
- Other
INFLAMMATORY CAUSES OF THIS MEDICAL PROBLEM
The following are inflammatory causes of upper abdominal pain:
- Acute cholecystitis
- Acute pancreatitis
- Gastritis
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis
INFECTIOUS CAUSES OF THIS MEDICAL PROBLEM
The following are infectious causes of upper abdominal pain:
- Gastroenteritis
- Viral hepatitis: hepatitis A infection, hepatitis B infection, hepatitis C
- Liver abscess
- Splenic abscess
- Ascending cholangitis
CARDIOVASCULAR CAUSES OF THIS MEDICAL PROBLEM
The following are cardiovascular causes of upper abdominal pain:
- Acute Myocardial infarction
- Budd-Chiari syndrome
- Portal vein thrombosis
- Splenic infarction
MALIGNANT CAUSES OF THIS MEDICAL PROBLEM
Regardless of sex, the following are malignancy related causes of upper abdominal pain:
- Gastric cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
OTHER CAUSES OF THIS MEDICAL PROBLEM
Regardless of sex, the following are other causes of upper abdominal pain:
- Peptic ulcer disease
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Gastroparesis
- Splenic rupture
Page Updated: 01.23.2017