15/11/2025
✅ Abdominal Pain – Easy Guide
Abdominal pain can be understood by location. Each region suggests specific causes.
✅ Upper Abdomen
🔹 Epigastric (middle upper)
Common stomach & heart-related causes:
• Gastritis
• GERD
• Peptic ulcer disease (PUD)
• Pancreatitis
• Heart attack (MI)
• Esophagitis
• Pericarditis
• Ruptured AAA (dangerous)
🔹 Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ)
Mostly liver & gallbladder:
• Gallstones / Biliary colic
• Cholecystitis
• Cholangitis
• Hepatitis
• Pancreatitis
• Liver abscess
• Budd–Chiari (rare)
🔹 Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ)
Mostly spleen & stomach:
• Splenic infarct / rupture
• Splenic abscess
• Gastritis
• Peptic ulcer
• Pancreatitis
• Sub-diaphragmatic abscess
✅ Middle Abdomen
🔹 Periumbilical (around belly button)
Gut-related:
• Early appendicitis
• Gastroenteritis
• Small bowel obstruction
• IBS/IBD
• Ruptured AAA (dangerous)
🔹 Right Lumbar
• Kidney stones
• Pyelonephritis (kidney infection)
• Perinephric abscess
🔹 Left Lumbar
Same as right:
• Kidney stones
• Pyelonephritis
• Perinephric abscess
✅ Lower Abdomen
🔹 Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ)
The classic:
• Appendicitis
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Ovarian issues
• Hernia
• Nephrolithiasis
• IBS/IBD
• Cecal volvulus
🔹 Suprapubic / Hypogastrium
Bladder, uterus, or bowel:
• UTI / cystitis
• Urinary retention
• IBS/IBD
• Ovarian cyst
🔹 Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ)
Colon & reproductive:
• Diverticulitis
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Salpingitis
• IBS/IBD
• Nephrolithiasis
• Sigmoid volvulus
✅ Diffuse Abdominal Pain (all over)
These affect the entire abdomen:
• Gastroenteritis
• SBO (small bowel obstruction)
• Mesenteric ischemia
• Peritonitis
• IBS/IBD
• Diabetes (DKA)
• Functional or psychiatric causes
• Familial Mediterranean fever
✅ Chronic Pain
• IBS / IBD
• Dyspepsia
• Lactose intolerance
• Endometriosis
• Hernia
• Cancer (GI, GYN)
