Abdominal Mass: Symptoms, Complaints, Signs

The following symptoms and complaints may indicate Resistance in the Abdomen:

Leading symptom

  • Swelling, mass, and lump in the abdomen and/or pelvis.

Warning signs (red flags)

  • Anamnestic information:
    • Family history of inflammatory bowel disease
    • Colon carcinoma (cancer of the large intestine) in the family (esp. think of colon carcinoma in middle and old age)
  • Acute onset of pain with rapidly increasing pain intensity.
  • Left-sided pain and fever (esp. in elderly patients) → think of: Diverticulitis (disease of the colon in which inflammation forms in protrusions of the mucosa (diverticula)).
  • Recurrent pain in the lower abdomen and altered bowel habits such as alternating constipation (constipation) and diarrhea (diarrhea) → think of: Irritable bowel
  • No discharge of stool or gas
  • Hematemesis (vomiting of blood; coffee grounds vomiting), melena (blood in stool), or gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB; gastrointestinal bleeding)
  • Increased vomiting that is untreatable or difficult to treat.
  • General weakness
  • Syncope (momentary loss of consciousness), collapse.