Syed Ahmad Sultan Ali, Foad Ali Moosa, Naheed Sultan, Farha Idrees.
Role of Diagnostic Laparoscopy in Recurrent Vague Abdominal Pain.
J Surg Pak Jan ;18(2):74-7.

Objective: To determine the role of laparoscopy in the management of recurrent vague abdominal pain. Study design: Descriptive case series. Place & Duration of study: Surgical Unit I, Civil Hospital Karachi, from January 2005 to June 2007. Methodology: All patients who presented with vague recurrent abdominal pain and underwent laparoscopic surgery to make a definitive diagnosis were included in the study. Results: A total of 60 patients were managed. There were 36 (60%) females and 24 (40%) males. The mean age was 26 year (range 18-58 year). The common mode of admission was out patient department (73.3%). Fourteen (23.3%) patients presented with vague abdominal pain in lower abdomen, followed by 12 (20%) with right lower abdominal pain and 12 (20%) with central pain radiating to right lower abdomen. Diagnosis was established in 56 (93.3%) patients. In 4 (6.6%) patients no pathology was found. The most common diagnosis was inflamed appendix in 18 (30%) patients followed by abdominal tuberculosis in 16 (26.6%) patients. Most (36.6%) of the patients stayed in hospital for 24 hours. There was no readmission and no major postoperative complications. Conclusions: Diagnostic laparoscopy in vague abdominal pain provided a higher diagnostic accuracy and improved treatment. It may be considered as first line operative investigation for undiagnosed vague abdominal pain.

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