causes for lower quadrant abdominal pain
Pain from foregut structures (e.g., lower esophagus, stomach) generally is felt in the epigastrium. Midgut structures (e.g., small intestine) cause periumbilical pain, and hindgut structures (e.g., large intestine) cause lower abdominal pain. Parietal pain arises from noxious stimulation of the parietal peritoneum.
Gastroenteritis is the most common cause of abdominal pain in children. 4 Viruses such as rotavirus, Norwalk virus, adenovirus, and enterovirus are the most frequent causes. 4, 5 The most common bacterial agents include Escherichia coli, Yersinia, Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Shigella.
Acute sigmoid diverticulitis should be suspected in patients with the clinical triad of left lower-quadrant pain, fever, and leukocytosis. Additional diagnostic considerations include, but are not limited to, other gastrointestinal pathology, obstetric and gynecologic pathology, and renal or ureteric colic (Table 1) .