Pain in the abdomen with pressure, palpation: what is this, symptoms, diagnostics, treatment, prevention

Synonyms: Abdominal soreness; Pain in the abdomen when pressing on a specific point; Abdominal pain on palpation

Point tenderness – abdomen; Abdominal tenderness

What does abdominal pain on pressure mean?

Soreness in the abdomen with pressure or palpation is pain, that the patient feels, when pressure is applied to a specific part of the abdomen.

The abdomen is an area of ​​the body, which a healthcare professional can easily check by touch. The doctor can feel the bumps and organs in the abdomen and determine, where do you feel the pain.

Abdominal tenderness on pressure can range from mild to severe. Infection of internal organs is especially dangerous (peritonitis).

Causes of pain in the abdomen with pressure

The cause of pain in the abdomen during palpation may be:

• Abdominal abscess
• Appendicitis
• Some types of hernias
• Meckel's diverticulum
• Torsion of the ovary (torsion of the fallopian tube)

When to See a Healthcare Professional for Pressure Abdominal Pain

Seek emergency medical attention immediately, if you have severe pain in the abdomen.

What will the doctor do when diagnosing the causes of abdominal pain with pressure

The doctor will examine you and gently press on certain places on your stomach.. In the presence of peritonitis, patients often reflexively strain the abdominal muscles when touched..

The location of the site of pain may indicate the disease, who calls her. For Example, if you have appendicitis, you will have pain when you touch a certain place on the side of your lower abdomen. This place is called McBurney Point.

The healthcare professional will also ask questions about symptoms and medical history.. These may include:

• When symptoms appeared?
• Is this the first time you've experienced this kind of discomfort??
• If not, when there is discomfort?
• Do you have other symptoms, such as constipation, diarrhea, swoon, vomiting or fever?

Maybe, you will need to pass the following tests:

• X-ray of the abdomen
• CT of the abdomen (sometimes)
• Blood test, e.g. complete blood count

In some cases, you may need emergency surgery, which may include exploratory laparotomy or emergency appendectomy.

Sources

Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW. Abdomen. In: Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW, eds. Seidel’s Guide to Physical Examination. 9th ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2019:chap 18.

Landmann A, Bonds M, Postier R. Acute abdomen. In: Townsend CM Jr, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 21st ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2022:chap 46.

McQuaid KR. Approach to the patient with gastrointestinal disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 123.