The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine
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Review Case Reports
Abdominal wall pain caused by cutaneous nerve entrapment in an adolescent girl taking oral contraceptive pills.
The etiology of chronic abdominal pain can be elusive. The diagnostic workup, therefore, often includes superfluous and expensive tests, as well as invasive procedures which do not contribute to the final diagnosis. Studies have shown that some patients suffer from prolonged pain in the abdominal wall and often are misdiagnosed and treated as having a visceral source for their complaints. ⋯ After the involved cutaneous nerve was selectively blocked by subcutaneous infiltration, the pain disappeared immediately and completely. Recognition of this apparently unusual condition can lead to gratifying results. It is proposed that oral contraceptive therapy may have caused changes in the abdominal wall which led to nerve entrapment and the ensuing severe, prolonged pain.