What Could Be Causing Stomach Pain with Fever but No Diarrhea?

Emergency Medicine, Holy Name Medical Center

Supervised by Tomas Diaz, MD

Stomach pain with fever and without diarrhea may suggest infection of an organ other than the intestines. However, diarrhea can be absent in early phases of an intestinal infection.

Explanation

Abdominal pain associated with fever but not diarrhea can be due to several different underlying causes. Diarrhea is usually a symptom that indicates inflammation of the intestines. So, when fever accompanies abdominal pain but diarrhea is absent, this may indicate inflammation of specific organs rather than a widespread intestinal infection. But, even still, a stomach bug (gastroenteritis) can also cause abdominal pain and fever without vomiting or diarrhea in early phases. Inflammation and infection of the appendix (appendicitis), gallbladder (cholecystitis), pancreas (pancreatitis), liver (hepatitis), or bladder (cystitis) can all cause abdominal pain and fever. The exact location of your pain and other symptoms may help identify the cause of your symptoms. If symptoms are severe or do not go away, you should discuss with your healthcare provider.

(References)

Keenan CR, Dhaliwal G, Henderson MC, Bowen JL. A 43-year-old woman with abdominal pain and fever. J Gen Intern Med. 2010 Aug;25(8):874-7. doi: 10.1007/s11606-010-1372-3. PMID: 20440575; PMCID: PMC2896582.
Jung YS. A Patient With Abdominal Pain and Fever. Intest Res. 2015 Jul;13(3):291-3. doi: 10.5217/ir.2015.13.3.291. Epub 2015 Jun 9. PMID: 26131006; PMCID: PMC4479746.
Sreh A, Rajaiah N, Saim M. Recurring Lower Abdominal Pain and Fever as Initial Presentation of Adult Onset Still's Disease in the Absence of Arthralgia and Other System Involvement. Eur J Case Rep Intern Med. 2017 May 9;4(6):000619. doi: 10.12890/2017_000619. PMID: 30755951; PMCID: PMC6346792.

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