title: [Chronic abdominal pain--internistic-psychosomatic aspects].
abstract: Abdominal pain is considered to be chronic when it persists for at least three months or when a patient experiences such pain for a total of three months during the course of a year. Pathophysiologically, nociceptive/neuropathic functional pain syndrome, mental disorders with the cardinal symptom of chronic pain, and mixed forms can be distinguished. In 50% of the patients, the cause of chronic abdominal pain is a functional gastrointestinal disorder e.g. functional dyspepsia irritable bowel syndrome. On the basis of a structured pain history, a physical examination and a basic "technical" diagnostic program (laboratory investigations, abdominal ultrasonography, Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy), correct assignment to one of the above-mentioned can be achieved in most of the cases.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik I, Klinikum Saarbrücken. whaeuser@klinikum-saarbruecken.de
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Häuser
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grandt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rünzi
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003109:Colonic Diseases, Functional / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology