title: Chronic abdominal pain: a surgical or psychiatric symptom?
abstract: A prospective investigation of chronic, non-specific abdominal pain in 20 patients is reported. The cause was found to be psychiatric in 8 (40 per cent), while a surgical cause was found in only 3 (15 per cent). Four had irritable colon (20 per cent) and no diagnosis was made in 5 (25 per cent). It is suggested that such pain is more often a psychiatric than a surgical symptom and therefore a psychiatric consultation should be a routine part of the investigation.
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003109:Colonic Diseases, Functional; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative