No abstract

Abdominal pain remains a common problem of children attending an Australian general practice, and was associated with features suggesting that it is related to anxiety and coping ability. Abdominal pain is not usually associated with disease; most families recognize this and cope with abdominal pain without medical consultation.

Thirty‐two patients aged 2–22 y with cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS), and 64 age‐ and gender‐matched controls were assessed to determine the nature, severity, precipitants and associated features of attacks and the incidence of potential aetiological factors. The mean age of onset was 3.5 y. Patients experienced a mean of nine attacks per year, of average duration 2.4 d, and two‐thirds missed more than 10 d of school per year. Patients were more likely to have migraine and co‐ordination difficulties, a past history of forceps delivery and gastroesophageal reflux than controls. Compared with controls, subjects had a higher incidence of psychological symptoms (38% compared with 19%) and migraine (37% compared with 9%). CVS is a chronic, disabling condition and is a migraine variant, with attacks usually precipitated by stress and intercurrent infections.

Cyclical vomiting syndrome is an uncommon, disabling symptom complex of unknown cause, with features in common with migraine. It affects principally children and adolescents. Differential diagnosis and theories of pathogenesis are discussed. Therapy should be aimed at prophylaxis of vomiting bouts, 'switching off' episodes once they commence and preventing complications of established vomiting episodes. Families need rapid access to care to minimize morbidity and disruption to functioning.