Epigastralgia - Causes and Symptoms

Definition

Epigastralgia is a pain referred to the upper and central region of the abdomen (corresponding to the projection of the stomach on the abdominal wall, just below the ribs and above the navel).

The pain that is localized in the epigastric region is a common symptom of many diseases of the digestive system, such as gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcer, gastroesophageal reflux and acute pancreatitis.

Furthermore, this manifestation may be indicative of a condition affecting the gall bladder and biliary tract (calculosis or inflammation of the gallbladder).

An intense and continuous epigastric pain can also be induced by the use of certain gastrolesive drugs, such as NSAIDs.

Among the reflex causes of epigastralgia are inflammations of abdominal or pelvic organs far from the epigastrium, such as appendicitis or diverticulitis.

This symptom can also be indicative of extradigestive diseases, such as angina pectoris, inflammation of the lung or dorsal arthrosis. The pain referred to the epigastrium may also depend on pleurisy (irritation of the membrane surrounding the lungs), pulmonary embolism, pericarditis and acute myocardial infarction.

The possible causes of epigastralgia also include neoplastic processes that originate in the upper and middle part of the abdomen (eg gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, etc.). The symptom is also associated with vascular problems (abdominal angina, intestinal infarction, abdominal aortic aneurysm or its branches, thrombosis of a mesenteric vein, etc.), hernias (protrusions inside the abdominal wall) and indigestion.