Abdominal pain in pregnancy

In many respects abdominal pain in pregnancy is managed just as in a nonpregnant patient, but the diagnostic criteria, methods of diagnosis, therapy, and consequences of mismanagement differ. This article discusses appendicitis, cholecystitis, urolithiasis, pancreatitis, and intestinal obstruction--conditions that often manifest a similar clinical picture. The article presents epidemiologic data, distinguishing characteristics, modifications of the workup, and treatment appropriate to pregnancy and perinatal complications of each condition.