6 months ago my 3 yr old landed a perfect knee to my solar plexus causing intense pain and vomiting. A month later he did it again. I am now very sensitive there. Last week while dusting myself off a lite pat to the area created considerable discomfort for the rest of the week. Saw family doc on Thursday. They feel it acid reflux. I didn't have discomfort until I was hit. Lucky me, my son landed another one last nite while giving me a hug. I'm able to flex 6 pack abs and pecs, do push ups everything as normal. I can take deep and shallow breaths normally. Normal appetite. Normal digestion and movements. Normal sleep. The problem is a constant mild to dull radiating pain in my solar plexus area. It almost feels like a hollowness in the center of my chest behind the muscles and sternum. Sounds a little strange but not sure how to describe.
Gender: Male
How tall are you (feet and inches)?: 5 10
What is your weight in pounds?: 175
How old are you?: 39
How long has this been going on?: A week or two
Check all symptoms you are currently experiencing: Chest Pain
What have you done so far to remedy this condition? Please include tests and relevant studies here. Blood work for Gall Bladder and Pancreas. Results normal.
Please list any chronic medical problems and also list any prior surgery: Total Hip Replacement
Appendectomy
Are you currently using or do you have a history of tobacco use?: Yes
Are you currently using or do you have a history of illegal drug use?: No
Please describe your alcohol consumption :: Daily
HOW QUICKLY DO YOU NEED THIS TO BE ANSWERED?: As soon as possible.
Can you bruise the solar plexus?
What is the best method of diagnosis for a non muscular skeletal injury?
What are possible treatments?
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Sir,
This is a puzzling case indeed.
Can you bruise in the solar plexus? Well, you can get an abdominal wall bruise, but six months ago? If this were the cause then you should be well by now.
The next question is the real money question... What is the best method of diagnosis? The answer is a contrasted CT Scan, perhaps an MRI of your abdomen and pelvis.
I think you should have this as soon as possible. I think your logic is sound in thinking back to the incident with your three year old, but from a doctor's perspective, I am concerned about your story.
The nature of the pain concerns me. The chronicity of the pain concerns me. In short, being ER trained, I think automatically of the worst possible cause, and this is, of course, cancer. Do I think you have it? No, but it IS on the list. As long as it is 'on the list' it's time to take it off the list as quickly as possible. This requires imaging studies as mentioned above.
You can not rule out disease of the pancreas or gall bladder with blood tests, though the results can suggest disease. It's time for you to get back with your family doctor and let him know that your pain has been present for six months. And it's time to request either a CT scan of your abdomen or pelvis, OR, referral to a GI specialist or surgeon.
If you have questions about my answer please leave them in the comment section.
Be well
1 comment:
Certaiinly you can bruise structures in the epigrastic ("solar plexus") area of the upper abdomen. If the bruising is hard enough and you have been hit in the same area a few times this could develop into a hematoma (a swelling with blood in it)
There is the possibility that you might have developed a hiatus hernia (where the stomach get pushed a bit back into the esophagus. This could give symptons of tenderness, nausea, etc., but there is not any visible swelling .(small hiatal hernias often do not give any persistent symptoms, but repeated trauma could leave some on-going discomfort).
The C-T scan could pick up any number of problems
involving he stomach, pancreas, gall bldder, liver and that sounds like the test with the liklihood of getting the most information.
An ultra sound can pick up stones and cysts, but doesn't have quite the good definition that a C-T does..
An endoscopy done by a gastro-enterologist could look under direct visions for anything in the esophagus, stomach and visualize any hematoma or hiatal hernia.
Hematomas might need to be drained by a surgeon.
Hiatus hernias usually don't require surgery unless they are large.
Any other treatment will depend on the findings of the scans.
Blood tests for pancreatic, liver, gall bladder; and a CBC for infections & anemia would be helpful, but not as diagnostic as C-T, endoscopy, (sometimes they still do barium swallow exams of stomach and small intestine)
Definitely good to check back with your M.D. and ask him about doing some further testing to look into some of these other possibilities.
Lastly, you should do whatever you can to get off the cigarettes!! Would save you from MANY problems in the future.
Good Luck!
Space Doc
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