Upper Abdominal Pain

The causes of chronic abdominal pain (AP) are many. Possible causes include inflammation of the patient’s intestines, distention of an abdominal organ, and blood loss to an abdominal organ. Common differential diagnoses of chronic AP for adults that can be managed at primary care are (1) gastroparesis, (2) functional abdominal pain syndrome, (3) functional dyspepsia, (4) narcotic bowel syndrome, (5) chronic gastroenteritis including inflammatory bowel diseases, (6) chronic pancreatitis, (7) cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcer, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic cholelithiasis, and chronic abdominal wall pain.