The role of laparoscopy in diagnosis of patients with chronic abdominal pain

Abstract

Background: Chronic abdominal pain still remains one of the leading clinical problems presenting to physicians. Reaching a definitive diagnosis and prompt management is usually delayed because invasive investigations are frequently required to come to a conclusive diagnosis. The aim was to study the varied clinical picture of chronic abdominal pain and evaluate the role of laparoscopy in reaching a conclusive diagnosis in these patients.Methods: A prospective and retrospective study of 142 patients of chronic abdominal pain who underwent diagnostic laparoscopy in our surgery department from June, 2006 to December, 2015 was done. A descriptive analysis of data collected from case records of these patients was done to study the varied clinical picture, laboratory reports, radiological findings, laparoscopic findings and histological reports. The usefulness of laparoscopy to confirm the diagnosis and in clinical management of these patients of chronic abdominal pain was evaluated.Results:Laparoscopy was performed in 142 patients of chronic abdominal pain with unsettled diagnosis. A conclusive diagnosis could be made in 136 of these patients. The common causes of chronic abdominal pain were abdominal tuberculosis, adhesions, bands, small intestinal strictures, chronic appendicitis, abdominal malignancy and various gynecological diseases. Gynecological problems causing chronic abdominal pain were pelvic inflammatory disease, ovarian cyst, tubo-ovarian mass, hydrosalpinx, fibroid uterus, bulky uterus, endometriosis. Thus laparoscopy provided positive diagnosis of in 136 (95.77%) patients based on laparoscopic findings, histological reports, ascitic fluid analysis and cytology.Conclusions:In patients suspected to have abdominal pathology early laparoscopy may be useful to establish a conclusive diagnosis with acceptably low morbidity (<5 %). An early resort to laparoscopy can resolve the diagnostic dilemma and early treatment can be instituted.