Title: Clinico-Etiological Profile of Recurrent Abdominal Pain in Children Aged 5-15 Years
Authors: Lakhan Poswal, Saransh Sabal, Sandip Gediya, Suresh Goyal
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i5.55
Abstract
Background: Recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) is one of the most common chronic complain of childhood affecting 8-12% of school children. In school aged children, an organic cause can be found in less than 10% of children with recurrent abdominal pain. In some of the studies, organic cause of RAP was found to be higher. Emotional components have been attributed as underlying components in non-organic RAP.
Material and Method: This hospital based prospective study was done on 82 children aged 5 to15 years attending Bal Chikitsalaya, R.N.T Medical college, Udaipur, fulfilling Apley’s criteria of RAP. Detailed history, physical examination & investigations that included CBC, urine examination, stool examination, USG abdomen and pelvis were done in all patients. Psychological stressors were also looked for in all children.
Results: Majority (62.19%) of patients were in the age group of 5 to 8 years with 56.10% males and 63.41% children were 1st in birth order. Majority of the parents of study children had low education attainment and belonged to lower socio economic families. Pain abdomen was localised in periumbilical region in most of the patients (92.68%) and except one patient who had hemorrhagic ovarian cyst, all patients had pain during day time only. Sixteen (19.51%) patients had abnormal finding on USG i.e. mesenteric lymphadenopathy (14), ovarian hemorrhagic cyst (1) and enlarged solitary kidney (1). Other laboratory findings were urinary tract infection and protozoal infection. Psychological stressors were identified in 36 (43.90%) patients.
Conclusion: On evaluation of children with RAP, in most of the patients (73.17%) no abnormal finding was seen. Mesenteric lymphadenopathy was commonest (17.07%) USG finding and UTI was seen in 10.98% patients.
Keywords: Recurrent abdominal pain, functional RAP, chronic abdominal pain, ultrasonography.
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