gastrointestinal disorders
Chronic Abdominal Pain and Recurrent Abdominal Pain
Introduction
Chronic abdominal pain (CAP) is pain that persists for more than 3 months either continuously or intermittently. Intermittent pain may be referred to as recurrent abdominal pain (RAP). Acute Abdominal Pain is discussed elsewhere. CAP occurs any time after 5 years of age. Up to 10% of children require evaluation for RAP. About 2% of adults, predominantly women, have CAP (a much higher percentage of adults have some type of chronic gastrointestinal [GI] symptoms, including nonulcer dyspepsia and various bowel disturbances). Functional bowel disorders are common causes of chronic abdominal pain. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) (IBS) is a functional bowel disorder that causes recurrent abdominal pain and altered bowel habits. Centrally mediated abdominal pain syndrome, previously known as functional abdominal pain, is a similar but less common disorder that does not cause altered bowel habits. (See the American College of Gastroenterology's Nearly all patients with CAP have had a prior medical evaluation that did not yield a diagnosis after history, physical, and basic testing. 