ABSTRACT
Each year in the UK, hundreds of thousands of patients are seen in accident and emergency departments across the country or are admitted on to a hospital ward following the sudden onset of abdominal pain (Fig. 1) as their main symptom. This group makes up 5–10 per cent of the total number of patients seen in UK hospitals. In the USA it has been estimated that this number is 5 million patients per year. Despite being seen by clinicians experienced in history-taking and clinical examination, and despite having undergone a series of clinical investigations, about 30 per cent of patients do not receive a specific diagnosis. Diagram of anatomical areas of the abdomen. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-u.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780429159565/811ac85f-a2fd-419d-ad19-eb9397a09b87/content/fig1_1.tif"/>
