Abdominal Pain Tests
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Abdominal pain tests are medical investigations done to help unravel the causes of abdominal pain. In some cases, such tests may also help as a treatment modality. Urine test
including- Urine Dip stix for infection, blood in urine test,
- Urine pregnancy test
Stool test
including- Faecal occult blood test (FOBT) for bowel cancer,
- stool microscopy for parasites
- Helicobacter pylori antigen test
X-rays
like- Plain abdominal film
- Chest x-ray
- IVU
- Barium swallow
Scans
like- Ultrasound scans
- CT-scan
- MRI
- CTPA
- Bone scan
- Radionuclide scan
Endoscopy or Camera tests
like- Colonoscopy
- Sigmoidoscopy
- ERCP
- MRCP
- Laparoscopy
- Cystoscopy
- Hysterescopy
Body Fluid or Tissue Biopsy
like- Paracentesis
- Ascitic tap for cytology
- Culdocentesis
- Liver biopsy
- Kidney Biopsy.
The choice of a test that needs to be done is dependent on what is thought might be the possible cause of pain in the abdomen.
There are certain conditions causing abdominal pain that do not yet have a form of medical test to help confirm with certainty, the diagnosis.
In such cases, "crude" tests are done to help point to the suspected diagnosis by building up a body of circumstantial evidence.
We will discuss test that may be necessary in some common conditions that causes abdominal pain.
Tests For Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Abdominal aortic aneurysm occurs in people above 50 years of age. Is caused by ballooning of the large blood vessel that runs from the heart down to the abdomen. It causes central abdominal pain spreading to the back, often followed by collapse, if ruptures. It is a life threatening emergency.Tests commonly done to help in the diagnosis and treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm will include:
- Blood Test such as full blood count (will show low blood level if patient is bleeding), clotting profile, group and cross match 6 units of bloods for possible transfusion, electrolyte and urea test, blood glucose level test, urine test
- Scans. If it is one that is not thought to have ruptured, a simple abdominal ultrasound scan may suffice. If it is thought to be leaking or ruptured, a CT-scan is more appropriate, provided the patient is stable enough to be transferred for scanning. See other abdominal pain tests and scans for abdominal aortic aneurysm
Tests For Abdominal Migraine
Abdominal migraine is often diagnosed wholly from the history.Tests that can be done though, include basic blood tests to help exclude the possibility of other causes of abdominal pain that may be potentially life threatening.
The only helpful tests for abdominal pain due to abdominal migraine is an
- EEG
Tests For Appendicitis
Abdominal pain tests to help in the diagnosis of appendicitis include:- Full Blood Count. The white cell count may be abnormally raised, with mainly increased in neutrophil count.
- Electrolyte and Urea, CRP. These are blood tests too. They may reveal raised CRP -cryo reactive protein, which is a crude test suggesting an acute inflammatory process going on.
- Urine dip test, to exclude urine tract infection or even pregnancy (and ectopic pregnancy) in a lday, as the cause of the pain. There may be blood in the urine, due to appendicitis
- Ultrasound Scan may be necessary, where the diagnosis is still largely in doubt. This may reveal a swollen appendix with fluid surrounding it. It is not a confirmatory test
- CT-scan. The advent of spiral CT scan has helped improved diagnosis in suspected appendicitis
- Laparoscopy. This is a camera or key-hole test, where a camera attached to the end of pen size tube is used to visualize the appendix in an operating theatre. A swollen red appendix with o without pus confirms the diagnosis, and the appendix can be removed in during the same time.
More on appendicitis and diagnostic abdominal pain tests here .
Tests For Biliary Colic, Cholecystitis & Gall Bladder Problems
If biliary colic, cholecystitis or any gall bladder problem is suspected, the following are tests that may help shed more light on this and help towards a diagnosis:- Liver Functional Test (LFT). This may show raised liver enzyme and raised level of bilirubin, if the gall stones are causing significant obstruction and inflammation. A CRP, electrolyte and urea as well as complete (Full) blood count and serum amylase level are other important blood abdominal pain tests
- Ultrasound Scan. This may help show the stones, or cause of obstruction, or inflammation
- ERCP
- MRCP.
Tests For Bowel Cancer
Abdominal pain tests for the diagnosis of bowel cancer include:- Blood Tests. Full blood count (may show low blood level or anaemia), raised CRP, Ca-125, raised cryo embryonic antigen, electrolyte and urea may be deranged
- Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT). This is a stool test.
- Barium Enema. This is sometimes done as a basic test to demonstrate narrowing or a crater in the wall of the bowel, indicative of a growing process. It is now not a very popular test, being overtaken by high powered CT scan
- Flexible Sigmoidoscopy.
- Colonoscopy
- Ct Scan
