Flank pain

Differential Diagnosis

Flank Pain

• Vascular
  • Abdominal aortic aneurysm
  • Renal artery embolism
  • Renal vein thrombosis
  • Aortic dissection
  • Mesenteric ischemia
• Renal
  • Pyelonephritis
  • Perinephric abscess
  • Perinephric hematoma
  • Papillary necrosis
  • Renal cell carcinoma
  • Obstructive uropathy
    • May or may not be due to nephrolithiasis
  • Renal infarction
  • Renal hemorrhage
• Ureter
  • Nephrolithiasis
  • Blood clot
  • Stricture
  • Tumor (primary or metastatic)
• Bladder
  • Tumor
  • Varicose vein
  • Cystitis
• GI
  • Biliary colic
  • Pancreatitis
  • Perforated peptic ulcer
  • Appendicitis (appendix may be pushed to RUQ in pregnancy)
  • Inguinal Hernia
  • Diverticulitis
  • Cancer
  • Bowel obstruction
• Gynecologic
  • Ectopic Pregnancy
  • PID/TOA
  • Ovarian cyst
  • Ovarian torsion
  • Endometriosis
  • Mittelschmerz or benign ovulatory pain
• GU
  • Testicular torsion
  • Epididymitis
• Other
  • Shingles
  • Lower lobe pneumonia
  • Retroperitoneal hematoma, abscess, or tumor
  • Epidural abscess
  • Epidural hematoma
  • Rib contusion/fracture

See Also

• Abdominal pain