[Chronic abdominal pain in childhood].

Recurrent abdominal pain in childhood can be caused structurally, functionally, metabolically or psychosomatically. In the neonatal period there occur malformations, in infancy chronic inflammations of bowel as well as obstructions due to adhesions following laparotomies or chronic intussusceptions or volvulus. In pre-school and school-age symptoms of appendicitis, lymphadenitis, Crohn's disease or Colitis ulcerosa occur. But every 8th to 9th child of school-age suffers from functional abdominal pain without structural origin, probably caused by an "irritable colon".