CLINICAL PROFILE AND IMAGING FINDINGS IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH RECURRENT ABDOMINAL PAIN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2024v17i8.52409Keywords:
Children, Recurrent abdominal pain, Ultrasound, Mesenteric lymphadenopathyAbstract
Objectives: The objective of this study was to analyze clinical features and ultrasonography (USG) abnormalities in children presenting with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP).
Methods: This was prospective observational study conducted in the department of pediatrics of a tertiary care medical college. Children between 1 and 18 years of age were included in this study. Demographic details such as age and gender were noted. History of abdominal pain, its duration, and number of episodes in past 3 months were enquired and noted. A through clinical examination including per abdominal examination was done in all cases. Basic investigations such as urine and stool analysis, complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein levels were done in all cases. USG abdomen was done in all cases and its findings were analyzed. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 22.0 software was used for statistical analysis and p<0.05 was taken as statistically significant.
Results: Among 80 pediatric patients with RAP, boys predominated (57.50%). The mean age was similar between boys and girls, with no statistically significant difference. The most affected age group was 9–12 years. The most common frequency of pain episodes was 4 times in 3 months (46.25%), with a typical episode lasting 1–10 min (27.5%). The umbilical region was the most common pain site (25.00%). Ultrasound findings showed no abnormalities in 80% of cases, with enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes being the most common abnormal finding (13.75%) on USG.
Conclusion: Although ultrasound often shows no abnormalities in children with RAP, it is a crucial diagnostic tool for identifying potential conditions needing further evaluation. Even normal results offer reassurance to parents by ruling out serious medical conditions
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Copyright (c) 2024 Karthikeyan Annadurai1, Juliet Anitha Sean Martin2
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