title: Practical approach to the child presenting with back pain.
abstract: Back pain may be the presenting symptom of many children attending to pediatric health care settings. As such, awareness to the common etiologies of back pain in this subgroup of patients remains essential as it guides appropriate diagnosis. Although several clues may be derived from the child's history and physical examination, imaging techniques may be required to confirm the underlying diagnosis. This review summarizes the most commonly encountered causes of back pain in children and highlights diagnostic approaches that will ensure early diagnosis and intervention for a more favorable outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Riad El Solh 1107 2020, PO Box 11-0236, Beirut, Lebanon. rh00@aub.edu.lb
authors.forename: Rachid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haidar
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.forename: Nabil J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Khoury
authors.forename: Umayya
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Musharrafieh
mesh_terms: D001416:Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking; D010808:Physical Examination; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic