Dolor en el cuadrante inferior derecho en niños

What is right lower quadrant pain?

Pain in the tummy (abdomen) is a common problem in children. The right side of the lower part of the tummy (below the tummy button) is called the right lower quadrant of the abdomen. The main issue when pain is in this area is whether or not the diagnosis is acute appendicitis, but there are many other possible causes.

When pain comes on suddenly it is called 'acute'. Acute right lower quadrant pain may be caused by (see links for further details):

• Acute appendicitis.

• Gastroenteritis.

• Infección del tracto urinario.

• Groin (inguinal) hernia.

• Torsion of the testis.

• Adenitis mesentérica.

• Obstruction of the bowel (intestinal obstruction), eg, intussusception, or volvulus.

When pain comes on more gradually and is more persistent (chronic) or comes and goes (recurrent), the possible causes of right lower quadrant pain include:

• Estreñimiento.

• Migraña abdominal (recurrent episodes of abdominal pain without the typical migraine headache. The pain is more often in the centre of the abdomen, in the area around the tummy button).

• Síndrome del intestino irritable (more common in adults).

• Enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal.

• Enfermedad celíaca.

In children common causes of right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain include:

Estreñimiento

• Very common in children.

• Means passing hard stools (faeces), with difficulty, less often than normal.

• May cause RLQ pain but more commonly causes pain on the left, over the last part of the colon (descending colon).

See separate leaflet called Constipation in Children for more information.

Gastroenteritis y intoxicación alimentaria

• Cause diarrhoea.

• May also cause the child to be sick (vomit) and have crampy tummy (abdominal) pains.

• Pain may be anywhere in the tummy.

• El dolor puede aliviarse por un tiempo cada vez que se pasa algo de diarrea.

See separate leaflets called Gastroenteritis in Children y Food Poisoning in Children for more information.

Intolerancia a la lactosa

• Leads to bloating, tummy pain, wind and watery stools after drinking milk.

• Lactose intolerance can sometimes occur for a while after gastroenteritis. The condition gets better when the infection is over and the gut lining heals.

• Some people are born with a tendency to develop it.

See separate leaflet called Lactose Intolerance for more information.

Adenitis mesentérica

• In children with infections such as colds, glands within the tummy commonly become inflamed giving them tummy ache.

• El niño puede tener otros síntomas de un resfriado, como secreción nasal o dolor de garganta.

See separate leaflet called Mesenteric Adenitis for more information.

Apendicitis

• In older children, symptoms will be similar to those in adults (see separate leaflet on right lower quadrant pain).

• Babies may get watery diarrhoea and vomiting.

• Preschool children may just have vague tummy pains and go off their food.

See separate leaflet called Appendicitis for more information.

Torsión del testículo

• Occurs when a testicle (testis) twists around in the scrotum.

• Ocurre en niños y hombres jóvenes, típicamente adolescentes.

• Es inusual por encima de los 25 años.

• Severe pain that develops quickly.

• Puede afectar a cualquiera de los lados.

See separate leaflet called Torsion of the Testis for more information.

Enfermedad celíaca

• Coeliac disease is caused by a reaction of the gut to gluten. Gluten is found in many foods.

• It can cause poor growth

• Las heces pueden ser pálidas, malolientes y difíciles de eliminar al tirar de la cadena.

• El dolor no siempre ocurre, pero puede estar en cualquier parte del abdomen. Tiende a ir y venir.

See separate leaflet called Coeliac Disease for more information.