Acute abdominal pain in athletes - diagnostic challenges and indications for surgical intervention: A Narrative Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2026.65.73632Keywords
abdomen pain, groin pain, athletes, athletic pubalgia, exercise-related transient abdominal pain, diagnosis, multidisciplinary management, imagingAbstract
Background:
Abdominal and groin pain in athletes is diagnostically challenging due to overlapping causes including exercise-related gastrointestinal symptoms, musculoskeletal injuries, and serious intra-abdominal pathology.
Aim:
To explore the diagnostic complexity, emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary management, and discuss clinical implications for athletes presenting with abdominal or groin pain.
Methods:
Review of clinical studies assessing diagnostic approaches, reliability of physical examinations, imaging techniques, and treatment outcomes in athletes with lower abdominal or inguinal pain.
Results:
Exercise-induced transient abdominal pain (ETAP) and athletic pubalgia are common conditions causing pain that mimics more serious pathology; clinical examination tests show variable but generally acceptable reliability; imaging modalities such as ultrasound, MRI, and CT improve diagnostic accuracy; multidisciplinary collaboration among sports physicians, surgeons, radiologists, and physiotherapists enhances management; surgical interventions targeting pelvic floor or abdominal wall defects yield high rates of return to sport in selected athletes; however, literature is limited by heterogeneous populations and lack of standardized diagnostic criteria.
Conclusions:
Early and accurate diagnosis of abdominal and groin pain in athletes requires careful clinical assessment supported by appropriate imaging and a multidisciplinary approach to optimize outcomes. Further research is needed to establish standardized diagnostic guidelines and treatment protocols tailored to athletic populations.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Daniel Wijas, Mikołaj Olszok, Michał Kluś, Bartłomiej Kozdra, Natalia Makselan, Natalia Nawrat, Karolina Handzel, Antoni Anczyk, Krzysztof Karbowiak
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