AbstractThe abdomen hosts numerous organs which can generate nociceptive signals with certain stimuli. Abdominal pain is complex and diagnosis can be complicated due to the mixed presentation of visceral, somatic, and referred pain. A thorough understanding of abdominal anatomy can help elucidate the type of pain, origin of pain, and appropriate clinical management. Show
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Rights and permissionsCopyright information© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG About this chapterCite this chapterWeinstein, A.L., Abd-Elsayed, A. (2019). Abdominal Anatomy. In: Abd-Elsayed, A. (eds) Pain. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99124-5_171 Download citation
Exact origins of abdominal pain can be tricky to pinpoint. You may have noticed, for instance, that the liver is listed under several regions: the right hypochondriac, epigastric, and right lumbar. For our purposes, these nine regions will be reduced to four quadrants when discussing pain points.Right Upper QuadrantOrgans found in this quadrant include: the liver, the gallbladder, duodenum, the upper portion of the pancreas, and the hepatic flexure of the colon. Pain in the right upper quadrant may be indicative of hepatitis, cholecystitis, or the formation of a peptic ulcer. CholecystitisCholecystitis occurs if a gallstone finds its way into a bile duct preventing bile from flowing out and causing your gallbladder to become inflamed. Symptoms of Cholecystitis include:
Note: Bacteria also can cause Cholecystitis. Hepatitis
Peptic Ulcer
Right Lower QuadrantOrgans found in the right lower quadrant include the appendix, the upper portion of the colon, and the right ovary and the Fallopian tube in women. The right lower quadrant may be assessed when diagnosing appendicitis, in which case, this quadrant would be tender and painful. Appendicitis Left Upper QuadrantOrgans in the left upper quadrant include the stomach, spleen, left portion of the liver, main body of the pancreas, the left portion of the kidney, adrenal glands, splenix flexure of the colon, and bottom part of the colon. This quadrant may feel tender in cases of appendicitis and abnormalities of the intestines, such as malrotation. Left Lower QuadrantOrgans found in this quadrant include the sigmoid colon, and the left ovary and Fallopian tube in women. Pain in this quadrant may be symptomatic of colitis, diverticulitis, or kidney stones. Ovarian cysts (in women) or pelvic inflammation may also be at the root of pain in this quadrant. Diverticulitis Ureteral Colic Colitis Ulcerative Colitis Crohn's Disease C. Diff. Colitis What structures are located in the right upper quadrant?The right upper quadrant (RUQ) includes the pancreas, right kidney, gallbladder, liver, and intestines.
What organs are palpable in the right upper quadrant?The gallbladder is located in the right upper quadrant at the subcostal margin. To palpate, place one hand inferior to the right costal margin and the left hand to support the inferior aspect of the rib cage.
Which of the following structures is are located in the right lower quadrant Rlq )?Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ): contains parts of the small and large intestines, right ovary, right fallopian tube, appendix, right ureter.
Which group of organ structures are located in the left upper quadrant?These organs are found in the left upper quadrant of your body: Stomach. Pancreas. Spleen.
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