[Recurrent abdominal pains (RAP) in children (their definition, incidence and classification)]

The authors presents the particular aspects of recurrent abdominal pain in children. After the definition, they underline the main elements that characterise this syndrome. An important place is assigned to the classification of recurrent abdominal pain, three different conceptual methods being analysed in this article, concerning the etiopathogenesis of this syndrome. The methodological errors that occurred from the practical study of recurrent abdominal pain are emphasised in order to the first bivariant model (psychogenic and organic, J. Apley, 1958). Advances in investigations of children with recurrent abdominal pain in the last ten years demonstrate that organic recurrent abdominal pain occur more often than in was considered before, in other studies. More than that, in the last years, a new concept has been considered--dysfunctional recurrent abdominal pain (without organic or psychogenic support)--in order to the trivariant model purposed by R. Barr (1981). Finally, the authors present the last conceptual model (1984) which presumes the complex interactions between four primary forces that interfere in recurrent abdominal pain modulation.