This leads to a more severe pain in the mid-aspect of the abdomen accompanied by chills, fever, and yellowing of the skin, a condition called jaundice. This illness is called cholangitis. The passage of a gallstone from the bile duct into the duodenum can cause pancreatitis, a condition also associated with upper abdominal pain that requires urgent hospitalization. Crohn's Disease is a disease that can affect the full thickness of the wall of both the large and small intestine. It usually is associated with crampy abdominal pain, non-bloody diarrhea, and a tendency to penetrate into adjacent loops of intestine, the bladder, or the vagina in the female.
Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease of the lining of the large intestine.
It is also associated with crampy pain and diarrhea, but often there is passage of blood because of ulcerations within the lining of the intestine. IBD may also be of an infectious origin or from a poor blood supply to the intestine. Top of Page Liver Tumors Liver tumors are represented by any masses that are felt in the liver on palpation of the abdomen or that are seen on imaging studies. Fortunately, most are without symptoms, are benign, and do not require treatment. Malignant liver tumors, however, even without symptoms, require treatment, since they ultimately will be life threatening.