Upper abdominal pain

Mechanism

• Visceral sensory pathways of the thoracic segments innervate thorax and abdomen
• The mid thoracic segments receive innervation from embryologic foregut and also from thoracic structures
• Upper abdominal pain can therefore include lower oesophagus, stomach, 2nd part of duodenum, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, spleen AND heart, lungs
• Somatic nerve pathways are well described but visceral pathways are still under research