Causes of left lower quadrant abdominal pain

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Causes of Left Lower Quadrant Abdominal Pain

Common Causes

• Adnexitis
• Aortic aneurysm
• Appendicitis
• Colitis
• Colon carcinoma
• Crohn's disease
• Diverticulitis
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Endometriosis
• Feces
• Gastritis
• Gastroenteritis
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Inguinal hernia
• Intestinal obstruction
• Mesenteric lymphadenitis or thrombosis
• Middle pain
• Nephrolithiasis
• Ovarian cyst or torsion
• Psoas abscess
• Pyelonephritis
• Renal pain
• Salpingitis/Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Seminal vesiculitis
• Splenomegaly
• Strangulated hernia
• Volvulus

Causes of Left Upper Quadrant Abdominal pain

Life Threatening Causes

• Abdominal compartment syndrome
• Acute pancreatitis
• Heavy metal toxicity
• Eclampsia
• Hepatorenal syndrome
• Infective endocarditis
• Ischemic colitis
• Ketoacidosis
• Malignant hypertension
• Mesenteric artery ischemia
• Perforated gastric ulcer
• Peritonitis
• Post-ERCP perforation
• Pulmonary embolism
• Pulmonary infarction
• Renal abscess
• Splenic abscess
• Splenic artery embolization
• Splenic infarction
• Traumatic splenic rupture

Common Causes

• Basal pneumonia
• Empyema
• Gastritis
• Gastroduodenal ulcers
• Acute pancreatitis
• Pericarditis
• Pleuritis
• Pulmonary infarction
• Pyelonephritis
• Renal colic
• Splenic infarction
• Splenic rupture
• Splenic tumor
• Splenomegaly

Causes by Organ System

Cardiovascular	Abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture, infective endocarditis, intestinal lymphangiectasia, ischemic colitis, malignant hypertension, mesenteric artery ischemia, pulmonary arteriovenous malformations, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary infarction, purulent pericarditis, rheumatoid vasculitis, splenic artery aneurysm, splenic artery embolization, splenic infarction, systemic vasculitis
Chemical/Poisoning	Algal toxin in shellfish, aluminum toxicity, arsenic poisoning, cadmium toxicity, chromium poisoning, copper poisoning, ecstasy overdose, ethylene glycol poisoning, food poisoning, gold, iron poisoning, lead poisoning, mercury poisoning, methanol, organophosphate poisoning, saw palmetto, silver poisoning, toxic mushrooms
Dental	No underlying causes
Dermatologic	Scarlet fever, scleroderma, shingles
Drug Side Effect	Aspirin, colchicine toxicity, diclofenac, didanosine, fentanyl toxicity, hydroxyurea, ibuprofen, indomethacin, malignant hyperthermia, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), propylthiouracil, Reye's syndrome, statins, steroid abuse, thrombolytic therapy, tramadol toxicity, vitamin D toxicity
Ear Nose Throat	No underlying causes
Endocrine	Addisonian crisis, adrenal hemorrhage, adrenal tuberculosis, carcinoid, diabetic ketoacidosis, multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
Environmental	Organophosphate poisoning, saw palmetto
Gastroenterologic	Abdominal compartment syndrome, acute diverticulitis, acute pancreatitis, atraumatic splenic rupture, autoimmune pancreatitis, Bannayan-Zonana syndrome, bile reflux disease, bulimia nervosa, celiac disease, chronic constipation, collagenous colitis, colon cancer, colonic lymphoma, congestive splenomegaly, Crohn's disease, cystic metastasis to the spleen, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, familial adenomatous polyposis, Felty's syndrome, gastric carcinoma, gastrinoma, gastritis, gastroenteritis, Gaucher disease, hepatorenal syndrome, hiatus hernia, intestinal pseudo-obstruction, intussusception, irritable bowel syndrome, ischemic colitis, malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, milk-alkali syndrome, Ménétrier's disease, pancreatic cystic neoplasms, pancreatic tail cancer, peptic ulcer disease, perforated gastric ulcer, peritonitis, pernicious anemia, polycystic kidney disease with splenic cysts, porphyria, pseudocysts cystic splenosis, scarlet fever, scleroderma, somatostatinoma, splenic abscess, splenic infarction, splenic laceration and trauma, splenic lymphoma, splenosis, stress ulcer, subphrenic abscess, traumatic splenic rupture, typhoid fever, ulcerative colitis, visceral hamartoma, visceral hemangioma, volvulus, wandering spleen syndrome, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
Genetic	Beta thalassemia major, colon atresia, cystic fibrosis, Dent's disease, familial adenomatous polyposis, Gaucher disease, hereditary angio-oedema, Meckel syndrome, polycystic kidney disease with splenic cysts, porphyria, primary hyperoxaluria, sickle cell anemia, Von Hippel-Lindau disease, WAGR syndrome, Williams syndrome
Hematologic	Acquired hemolytic anemia, antiphospholipid syndrome, beta thalassemia major, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, cryoglobulinemia, essential thrombocytosis, hairy cell leukemia, hereditary spherocytosis, lymphoma, MALT lymphoma, mastocytosis, myelofibrosis, plasma cell leukemia, polycythemia vera, porphyria, sickle cell anemia, Sézary syndrome, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
Iatrogenic	Chromoendoscopy, cryoablation, exercise-induced gastrointestinal bleeding, gas following laparoscopy, gastric surgery, intra abdominal adhesions, large volume thoracentesis, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, milk-alkali syndrome, nasogastric tubes, pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure), percutaneous abdominal biopsy, peritoneal dialysis, post-ERCP perforation, post-traumatic cysts, radiation therapy, referred pain, splenic artery embolization
Infectious Disease	Amebic dysentery, babesiosis, bacillary dysentery, botryomycosis, gastroenteritis, helicobacter pylori infection, histoplasmosis, infectious mononucleosis, infective endocarditis, inflammatory pleural effusions, intestinal worm infestation, kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis), malaria, mediterranean spotted fever, miliary tuberculosis, mumps, mycobacterium avium complex, perinephric abscess, peritonitis, pneumonia, post streptococcal glomerulonephritis, purulent pericarditis, pyelonephritis, renal abscess, renal mucormycosis, renal tuberculosis, shingles, splenic abscess, splenic hydatid cyst, subphrenic abscess, tropical splenomegaly syndrome, typhoid fever, viral hemorrhagic fever, Weil syndrome, yellow fever
Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic	Rib fracture, polymyositis
Neurologic	Meckel syndrome
Nutritional/Metabolic	Carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome, cystinuria, Gaucher Disease, homocystinuria, hyperuricaemia, oxalosis
Obstetric/Gynecologic	Eclampsia, ectopic pregnancy, endometriosis, gestational trophoblastic disease, pelvic inflammatory disease, Reiter’s syndrome, salpingitis, dysmenorrhoea, intra uterine device, fallopian tubal carcinoma
Oncologic	Bannayan-Zonana syndrome, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, colon cancer, colonic lymphoma, cystic metastasis to the spleen, Denys-Drash syndrome, essential thrombocytosis, familial adenomatous polyposis, gastric carcinoma, gastrinoma, hairy cell leukemia, malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, MALT lymphoma, mastocytosis, myelofibrosis, Ménétrier's disease, pancreatic tail cancer, plasma cell leukemia, polycythemia vera, renal angiosarcoma, renal cell carcinoma, somatostatinoma, splenic lymphoma, Sézary syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, tumor lysis syndrome, visceral hamartoma, visceral hemangioma, Von Hippel-Lindau disease, WAGR syndrome, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, Wilms tumor
Ophthalmologic	No underlying causes
Overdose/Toxicity	Cocaine overdose, contrast agents, fentanyl toxicity, steroid abuse, tramadol toxicity
Psychiatric	Bulimia nervosa, intestinal pseudo-obstruction, irritable bowel syndrome, stress ulcer
Pulmonary	Empyema, inflammatory pleural effusions, pneumonia, pulmonary arteriovenous malformations, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary infarction, systemic lupus erythematosus, Wegener's granulomatosis
Renal/Electrolyte	Dent's disease, Denys-Drash syndrome, glomerulonephritis, Meckel syndrome, medullary cystic kidney disease, nephrocalcinosis, perinephric abscess, polycystic kidney disease with splenic cysts, pyelonephritis, renal angiosarcoma, renal cell carcinoma, renal mucormycosis, renal tuberculosis, renal tubular acidosis, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, tuberous sclerosis, tubulointerstitial nephritis, urinary outflow obstruction, Von Hippel-Lindau disease, WAGR syndrome, Wegener's granulomatosis, Weil syndrome, Williams syndrome, Wilms tumor, xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis
Rheumatology/Immunology/Allergy	Allergic gastroenteropathy, autoimmune gastritis, autoimmune pancreatitis, crohn's disease, cryoglobulinemia, Felty's syndrome, food intolerance, hereditary angio-oedema, pernicious anemia, Reye's syndrome, rheumatoid vasculitis, scarlet fever, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic vasculitis, ulcerative colitis, Wegener's granulomatosis
Sexual	Denys-Drash syndrome
Trauma	Electrical burns, rib fractures, splenic laceration and hematoma, traumatic splenic rupture
Urologic	No underlying causes
Miscellaneous	Alcohol ingestion, chronic constipation, excessive caffeine, idiopathic, spicy food, splenosis

Causes by Organ System developed by WikiDoc.org, Copyleft 2013

Causes in Alphabetical Order

• Abdominal compartment syndrome
• Acquired hemolytic anemia
• Acute diverticulitis
• Acute gastritis
• Acute pancreatitis
• Addisonian crisis
• Adrenal hemorrhage
• Adrenal tuberculosis
• Alcohol ingestion
• Algal toxin in shellfish
• Allergic gastroenteropathy
• Aluminum toxicity
• Amebic dysentery
• Arsenic poisoning
• Aspirin
• Atraumatic splenic rupture
• Autoimmune pancreatitis
• Babesiosis
• Bacillary dysentery
• Bannayan-Zonana syndrome
• Beta thalassemia major
• Bile reflux disease
• Botryomycosis
• Bulimia nervosa
• Cadmium toxicity
• Carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome
• Carcinoid
• Celiac disease
• Chromium poisoning
• Chromoendoscopy
• Chronic constipation
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
• Chronic myeloid leukemia
• Cocaine overdose
• Colchicine toxicity
• Collagenous colitis
• Colon atresia
• Colon cancer
• Colonic lymphoma
• Contrast agents
• Copper poisoning
• Crohn's disease
• Cryoablation
• Cryoglobulinemia
• Cystic metastasis to the spleen
• Cystinuria
• Cytomegalovirus
• Dent's disease
• Denys-Drash syndrome
• Diabetic ketoacidosis
• Diclofenac
• Eclampsia
• Ecstasy overdose
• Electrical burns
• Empyema
• Endometriosis
• Eosinophilic gastroenteritis
• Essential thrombocytosis
• Ethylene glycol poisoning
• Excessive caffeine
• Exercise-induced gastrointestinal bleeding
• Familial adenomatous polyposis
• Felty's syndrome
• Fentanyl toxicity
• Fluvastatin
• Hereditary spherocytosis
• Gas following laparoscopy
• Gastric carcinoma
• Gastric surgery
• Gastric ulcer
• Gastrinoma
• Gastroenteritis
• Gaucher Disease
• Gestational trophoblastic disease

• Glomerulonephritis
• Gold
• Hairy cell leukemia
• Heavy metals
• Helicobacter pylori infection
• Hemolytic uremic syndrome
• Hepatorenal syndrome
• Hereditary angio-oedema
• Hiatus hernia
• Homocystinuria
• Hydroxyurea
• Hyperuricaemia
• Ibuprofen
• Idiopathic
• Indomethacin
• Infectious mononucleosis
• Infective endocarditis
• Inflammatory pleural effusion
• Intestinal pseudo-obstruction
• Intestinal worm infestation
• Intra abdominal adhesions
• Intussusception
• Iron poisoning
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Ischemic colitis
• Kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis)
• Large volume thoracentesis
• Lead poisoning
• Lymphoma
• Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography
• Malaria
• Malignant hypertension
• Malignant hyperthermia
• Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma
• MALT lymphoma
• Mastocytosis
• Meckel syndrome
• Mediterranean spotted fever
• Medullary cystic kidney disease
• Ménétrier's disease
• Mercury poisoning
• Mesenteric artery ischemia
• Methanol
• Methotrexate
• Metronidazole
• Miliary tuberculosis
• Milk-alkali syndrome
• Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1
• Mumps
• Mycobacterium avium complex
• Myelofibrosis
• Naproxen
• Nasogastric tubes
• Nephrocalcinosis
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Organophosphate poisoning
• Oxalosis
• Pancreatic tail cancer
• Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure)
• Pentamidine
• Peptic ulcer disease
• Percutaneous abdominal biopsy
• Perforated gastric ulcer
• Peritoneal dialysis
• Peritonitis
• Pernicious anemia
• Plasma cell leukemia
• Pneumonia
• Polycystic kidney disease with splenic cysts
• Perinephric abscess
• Polycythemia vera
• Porphyria
• Post streptococcal glomerulonephritis
• Post-ERCP perforation

• Post-traumatic cysts
• Primary hyperoxaluria
• Propylthiouracil
• Pseudocysts cystic splenosis
• Psittacosis
• Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations
• Pulmonary embolism
• Pulmonary infarction
• Purulent pericarditis
• Pyelonephritis
• Radiation therapy
• Referred pain
• Reflux nephropathy
• Renal abscess
• Renal angiosarcoma
• Renal cell carcinoma
• Renal mucormycosis
• Renal tuberculosis
• Renal tubular acidosis
• Reye's syndrome
• Rheumatoid vasculitis
• Rib fractures
• Salicylates
• Saw palmetto
• Scarlet fever
• Scleroderma
• Sézary syndrome
• Shingles
• Sickle Cell Anemia
• Silver poisoning
• Somatostatinoma
• Spicy food
• Splenic abscess
• Splenic artery aneurysm
• Splenic artery embolization
• Splenic hematoma and laceration
• Splenic hydatid cyst
• Splenic infarction
• Splenic lymphoma
• Splenomegaly
• Splenosis
• Statins
• Steroid abuse
• Stress ulcer
• Subphrenic abscess
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Systemic vasculitis
• Thrombolytic therapy
• Tietze's syndrome
• Toxic mushrooms
• Tramadol toxicity
• Traumatic splenic rupture
• Tropical splenomegaly syndrome
• Tuberous sclerosis
• Tubulointerstitial nephritis
• Tumor lysis syndrome
• Ulcerative colitis
• Urinary outflow obstruction
• Viral hemorrhagic fevers
• Visceral hamartoma
• Visceral hemangioma
• Vitamin D toxicity
• Volvulus
• Von Hippel-Lindau Disease
• WAGR Syndrome
• Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
• Wandering spleen syndrome
• Wegener's granulomatosis
• Weil syndrome
• Williams Syndrome
• Wilms tumor
• Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis
• Yellow fever
• Zollinger-Ellison syndrome

Causes of Causes of left lower quadrant abdominal pain developed by WikiDoc.org, Copyleft 2013