Causes of left flank pain

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Causes Diffuse Abdominal Pain Left Upper Quadrant Left Flank Left Lower Quadrant Epigastric Quadrant Umbilical Region Pelvic Region Right Upper Quadrant Right Flank Right Lower Quadrant Intraperitoneal Extraperitoneal
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Mugilan Poongkunran M.B.B.S [2]

Causes of Left Flank Pain

Life Threatening Causes

• Abdominal compartment syndrome
• Acute pancreatitis
• Heavy metal toxicity
• Eclampsia
• Hepatorenal syndrome
• Infective endocarditis
• Ischemic colitis
• Ketoacidosis
• Malignant hypertension
• Mesenteric artery ischemia
• Perforated gastric ulcer
• Peritonitis
• Post-ERCP perforation
• Pulmonary embolism
• Pulmonary infarction
• Renal abscess
• Splenic abscess
• Splenic artery embolization
• Splenic infarction
• Traumatic splenic rupture

Common Causes

• Basal pneumonia
• Empyema
• Gastritis
• Gastroduodenal ulcers
• Acute pancreatitis
• Pericarditis
• Pleuritis
• Pulmonary infarction
• Pyelonephritis
• Renal colic
• Splenic infarction
• Splenic rupture
• Splenic tumor
• Splenomegaly

Causes by Organ System

Cardiovascular	Abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture, ischemic colitis, malignant hypertension, mesenteric artery ischemia, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary infarction, renal artery dissection, renal artery embolism, renal infarction, renal vein thrombosis, rheumatoid vasculitis, splenic artery embolization, splenic infarction, systemic vasculitis
Chemical/Poisoning	Aluminum toxicity, arsenic poisoning, cadmium toxicity, chromium poisoning, copper poisoning, ecstasy overdose, ethylene glycol poisoning, food poisoning, gold, heavy metals, iron poisoning, lead poisoning, mercury poisoning, methanol, organophosphate poisoning, silver poisoning, toxic mushrooms
Dental	No underlying causes
Dermatologic	Scarlet fever, scleroderma, shingles
Drug Side Effect	Aspirin, contrast agents, bleomycin, chemotherapeutic agents, cisplatin, colchicine, cyclosporin, diclofenac, fentanyl toxicity, ibuprofen, indomethacin, malignant hyperthermia, mercaptopurine, methotrexate, metronidazole, naproxen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), pentamidine, Reye's syndrome, salicylates, statin, steroid abuse, sulindac, tetracycline, thrombolytic therapy, tramadol toxicity, vitamin D toxicity, warfarin
Ear Nose Throat	No underlying causes
Endocrine	Addisonian crisis, adrenal hemorrhage, carcinoid, diabetic ketoacidosis, multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1
Environmental	Organophosphate poisoning
Gastroenterologic	Abdominal compartment syndrome, acute diverticulitis, chronic constipation, collagenous colitis, colon cancer, colonic lymphoma, congestive splenomegaly, Crohn's disease, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, familial adenomatous polyposis, gastroenteritis, gout, hepatorenal syndrome, intestinal pseudo-obstruction, intussusception, irritable bowel syndrome, ischemic colitis, malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, milk-alkali syndrome, perforated gastric ulcer, peritonitis, polycystic kidney disease]], porphyria, scarlet fever, scleroderma, splenic abscess, splenic infarction, subphrenic abscess, traumatic splenic rupture, ulcerative colitis, visceral hamartoma, visceral hemangioma, volvulus, wandering spleen syndrome
Genetic	Colon atresia, cystinuria, Dent's disease, familial adenomatous polyposis, homocystinuria, Meckel syndrome, polycystic kidney disease, porphyria, primary hyperoxaluria, sickle cell anemia, tuberous sclerosis, von Hippel-Lindau Disease, WAGR syndrome, Williams syndrome
Hematologic	Antiphospholipid syndrome, lymphoma,porphyria, sickle cell anemia]
Iatrogenic	Chromoendoscopy, cryoablation, exercise-induced gastrointestinal bleeding, gas following laparoscopy, gastric surgery, intra abdominal adhesions, large volume thoracentesis, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, milk-alkali syndrome, nasogastric and nasoenteric tubes, pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure), percutaneous abdominal biopsy, peritoneal dialysis, post-ERCP perforation, post-traumatic cysts, precut (access) papillotomy, radiation therapy, referred pain, splenic artery embolization, vitamin D toxicity
Infectious Disease	AIDS-associated nephropathy, amebic dysentery, ascariasis, babesiosis, bacillary dysentery, botryomycosis, brucellosis, campylobacter jejuni, candidiasis, cytomegalovirus, giardiasis, Helicobacter pylori infection, histoplasmosis, hydatid (echinococcal) cysts, infectious mononucleosis, infective endocarditis, inflammatory pleural effusions, intestinal worm infestation, kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis), [[malaria], mediterranean spotted fever, miliary tuberculosis, mumps, peritonitis, pneumonia, post streptococcal glomerulonephritis, psittacosis, purulent pericarditis, pyelonephritis, renal abscess, perinephric abscess, renal mucormycosis, mycobacterium avium complex, renal tuberculosis, shingles, splenic abscess, staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome, streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, subphrenic abscess, traveler's diarrhea, tropical splenomegaly syndrome, typhoid fever, vibrio parahaemolyticus, viral gastroenteritis, viral hemorrhagic fevers, Weil syndrome, yellow fever
Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic	Gout
Neurologic	Meckel syndrome
Nutritional/Metabolic	Carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome, cystinuria, Gaucher Disease, homocystinuria, hyperuricaemia, oxalosis
Obstetric/Gynecologic	Eclampsia, endometriosis, gestational trophoblastic disease
Oncologic	Acinic cell carcinoma, Bannayan-Zonana syndrome, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, colon cancer, colonic lymphoma, cystic metastasis to the spleen, Denys-Drash syndrome, essential thrombocytosis, familial adenomatous polyposis, gastric carcinoma, gastrinoma, hairy cell leukemia, islet cell adenoma, malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, MALT lymphoma, mastocytosis, Ménétrier's disease, myelofibrosis, pancreatic tail cancer, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, plasma cell leukemia, polycythemia vera, renal angiosarcoma, renal cell carcinoma, Sézary syndrome, somatostatinoma, splenic lymphoma, tuberous sclerosis, tumor lysis syndrome, visceral hamartoma, visceral hemangioma, von Hippel-Lindau disease, WAGR syndrome, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, Wilms' tumor
Ophthalmologic	No underlying causes
Overdose/Toxicity	Cocaine overdose, contrast agents, fentanyl toxicity, steroid abuse, tramadol toxicity
Psychiatric	Bulimia nervosa, intestinal pseudo-obstruction, irritable bowel syndrome, stress ulcer
Pulmonary	Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, cystic fibrosis, empyema, Goodpasture syndrome, inflammatory pleural effusions, pneumonia, pulmonary arteriovenous malformations, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary infarction, systemic lupus erythematosus, Wegener's granulomatosis
Renal/Electrolyte	Alport syndrome, cystinuria, Dent's disease, Denys-Drash syndrome, Goodpasture syndrome, homocystinuria, Meckel syndrome, medullary cystic kidney disease, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, myoglobinuria, nephrocalcinosis, oxalosis, polycystic kidney disease with splenic cysts, post streptococcal glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, reflux nephropathy, perinephric abscess, renal angiosarcoma, renal cell carcinoma, renal mucormycosis, renal tuberculosis, renal tubular acidosis, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, tuberous sclerosis, tubulointerstitial nephritis, Turner syndrome, urinary outflow obstruction, vesicoureteral reflux, von Hippel-Lindau disease, WAGR syndrome, Wegener's granulomatosis, Weil syndrome, Williams syndrome, Wilms tumor, xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis
Rheumatology/Immunology/Allergy	Allergic gastroenteropathy, autoimmune gastritis, autoimmune pancreatitis, crohn's disease, cryoglobulinemia, Felty's syndrome, food intolerance, hereditary angio-oedema, pernicious anemia, Reye's syndrome, rheumatoid vasculitis, scarlet fever, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic vasculitis, ulcerative colitis, Wegener's granulomatosis
Sexual	Denys-Drash syndrome, Turner syndrome
Trauma	Electrical burns, rib fractures, splenic hematoma and laceration, traumatic splenic rupture
Urologic	No underlying causes
Miscellaneous	Alcohol ingestion, chronic constipation, excessive caffeine, idiopathic, spicy food, splenosis

Causes by Organ System developed by WikiDoc.org, Copyleft 2013

Causes in Alphabetical Order

• Abdominal compartment syndrome
• Acinic cell carcinoma
• Acquired hemolytic anemia
• Acute diverticulitis
• Acute gastritis
• Acute pancreatitis
• AIDS-associated nephropathy
• Alcohol ingestion
• Algal toxin in shellfish
• Allergic gastroenteropathy
• Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency
• Alport syndrome
• Aluminum toxicity
• Amebic dysentery
• Amyloidosis
• Antiphospholipid syndrome
• Apolipoprotein C deficiency
• Arsenic poisoning
• Ascariasis
• Aspirin
• Atorvastatin
• Atraumatic splenic rupture
• Autoimmune gastritis
• Autoimmune pancreatitis
• Azathioprine
• Babesiosis
• Bacillary dysentery
• Bannayan-Zonana syndrome
• Beta thalassemia major
• Bile reflux disease
• Botryomycosis
• Brucellosis
• Bulimia nervosa
• Cadmium toxicity
• Campylobacter jejuni
• Candidiasis
• Carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome
• Carcinoid
• Celiac disease
• Cerivastatin
• Chromium poisoning
• Chromoendoscopy
• Chronic constipation
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
• Chronic myeloid leukemia
• Cocaine overdose
• Colchicine toxicity
• Collagenous colitis
• Colon atresia
• Colon cancer
• Colonic lymphoma
• Contrast agents
• Copper poisoning
• Crohn's disease
• Cryoablation
• Cryoglobulinemia
• Cyclosporin
• Cystic fibrosis
• Cystic metastasis to the spleen
• Cystinuria
• Cytomegalovirus
• Dent's disease
• Denys-Drash syndrome
• Diabetic ketoacidosis
• Diclofenac
• Didanosine
• Eclampsia
• Ecstasy overdose
• Electrical burns
• Empyema
• Endometriosis
• Eosinophilic gastroenteritis
• Essential thrombocytosis
• Estrogen
• Ethylene glycol poisoning
• Excessive caffeine
• Exercise-induced gastrointestinal bleeding
• Familial adenomatous polyposis
• Fanconi disease
• Felty's syndrome
• Fentanyl toxicity
• Fluvastatin
• Food intolerance
• Food poisoning
• Furosemide
• Hereditary spherocytosis
• Gas following laparoscopy
• Gastric carcinoma
• Gastric surgery
• Gastric ulcer
• Gastrinoma

• Gaucher Disease
• Gestational trophoblastic disease
• Giardiasis
• Gold
• Goodpasture syndrome
• Gout
• Hairy cell leukemia
• Heavy metals
• Helicobacter pylori infection
• Hemolytic uremic syndrome
• Hepatorenal syndrome
• Hereditary angio-oedema
• Hiatus hernia
• Histoplasmosis
• Homocystinuria
• Hydatid (echinococcal) cysts
• Hydroxyurea
• Hyperlipidemia (types I, IV, V)
• Hyperparathyroidism
• Hyperuricaemia
• Ibuprofen
• Idiopathic
• Indomethacin
• Infectious mononucleosis
• Infective endocarditis
• Inflammatory pleural effusion
• Intestinal lymphangiectasia
• Intestinal pseudo-obstruction
• Intestinal worm infestation
• Intra abdominal adhesions
• Intussusception
• Iron poisoning
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Ischemic colitis
• Islet cell adenoma
• Kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis)
• L-asparaginase
• Large volume thoracentesis
• Lead poisoning
• Lymphoma
• Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography
• Malaria
• Malignant hypertension
• Malignant hyperthermia
• Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma
• MALT lymphoma
• Mastocytosis
• Meckel syndrome
• Mediterranean spotted fever
• Medullary cystic kidney disease
• Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis
• Ménétrier's disease
• Mercaptopurine
• Mercury poisoning
• Mesenteric artery ischemia
• Methanol
• Methotrexate
• Metronidazole
• Miliary tuberculosis
• Milk-alkali syndrome
• MODY syndrome
• Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1
• Mumps
• Mycobacterium avium complex
• Myelofibrosis
• Myoglobinuria
• Naproxen
• Nasogastric and nasoenteric tubes
• Nephrocalcinosis
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Organophosphate poisoning
• Oxalosis
• Pancreatic tail cancer
• Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure)
• Pentamidine
• Peptic ulcer disease
• Percutaneous abdominal biopsy
• Perforated gastric ulcer
• Peritoneal dialysis
• Peritonitis
• Pernicious anemia
• Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
• Plasma cell leukemia
• Pneumonia
• Polycystic kidney disease with splenic cysts
• Perinephric abscess
• Polycythemia vera
• Porphyria
• Post streptococcal glomerulonephritis
• Post-ERCP perforation
• Post-traumatic cysts

• Precut (access) papillotomy
• Primary hyperoxaluria
• Propylthiouracil
• Pseudocysts cystic splenosis
• Psittacosis
• Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations
• Pulmonary embolism
• Pulmonary infarction
• Purulent pericarditis
• Pyelonephritis
• Radiation therapy
• Referred pain
• Reflux nephropathy
• Renal abscess
• Renal angiosarcoma
• Renal cell carcinoma
• Renal mucormycosis
• Renal tuberculosis
• Renal tubular acidosis
• Reye's syndrome
• Rheumatoid vasculitis
• Rib fractures
• Salicylates
• Saw palmetto
• Scarlet fever
• Scleroderma
• Scorpion sting
• Sézary syndrome
• Shingles
• Sickle Cell Anemia
• Silver poisoning
• Somatostatinoma
• Spicy food
• Splenic abscess
• Splenic artery aneurysm
• Splenic artery embolization
• Splenic hematoma and laceration
• Splenic infarction
• Splenic lymphoma
• Splenomegaly
• Splenosis
• Staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome
• Stavudine
• Steroid abuse
• Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome
• Stress ulcer
• Subphrenic abscess
• Sulindac
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Systemic vasculitis
• Tetracycline
• Thiazides
• Thrombolytic therapy
• Tietze's syndrome
• Toxic mushrooms
• Tramadol toxicity
• Traumatic splenic rupture
• Traveler's diarrhea
• Tropical splenomegaly syndrome
• Tuberous sclerosis
• Tubulointerstitial nephritis
• Tumor lysis syndrome
• Turner Syndrome
• Typhoid fever
• Ulcerative colitis
• Urinary outflow obstruction
• Valproic acid
• Valsartan
• Vibrio parahaemolyticus
• Vinblastine
• Vincristine
• Viral gastroenteritis
• Viral hemorrhagic fevers
• Visceral hamartoma
• Visceral hemangioma
• Vitamin D toxicity
• Volvulus
• Von Hippel-Lindau Disease
• WAGR Syndrome
• Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
• Wandering spleen syndrome
• Warfarin
• Wegener's granulomatosis
• Weil syndrome
• Williams Syndrome
• Wilms tumor
• Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis
• Yellow fever
• Zalcitabine
• Zollinger-Ellison syndrome

Causes of Causes of left flank pain developed by WikiDoc.org, Copyleft 2013