Name: abdominal pain and organ location
Uploaded: 2025-05-22T09:05:59.000Z
Duration: 1 min 19 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

ohios-learning-standards-and-model-curriculum

Ohio’s Learning Standards and Model Curriculum

9-12

Human Anatomy and Physiology

Levels Of Organization

Anatomical Terminology

Abdominal Regions and Quadrants

To precisely communicate the location of organs and pain, anatomists divide the large abdominopelvic cavity into either four quadrants&#160; or nine regions.
In the first approach, the median and transverse planes intersect at the umbilicus and form four quadrants, namely, the right upper quadrant, left upper quadrant, right lower quadrant, and left lower quadrant. &#160;
For example, most of the stomach is located in the left upper quadrant or LUQ.
Alternatively, the abdominopelvic regions can be divided into a grid of nine sub-regions using two parasagittal and two transverse planes.
The umbilical region is located between the epigastric and hypogastric or pubic regions.
Lateral to the umbilical, the right and left lumbar regions hold the ascending and descending colon, respectively.
The liver occupies the right hypochondriac and epigastric regions, and the spleen occupies the left hypochondriac region.
Likewise, the right and left inguinal or iliac regions are lateral to the hypogastric region.

abdominal regions and quadrants

To promote clear communication, for instance, about the location of a patient&#39;s abdominal pain or a suspicious mass, anatomists and clinicians typically use imaginary lines to categorize the abdominopelvic cavity into either four quadrants or nine regions to identify organs in the cavity.
The simpler quadrants approach, which is more commonly used in medicine, subdivides the cavity with one horizontal and one vertical line that intersects at the patient&#39;s umbilicus (navel). The four quadrants are the right upper (RUQ), right lower (RLQ), left upper (LUQ), and left lower quadrants (LLQ). The LUQ houses the stomach, the spleen, the pancreas, and the left parts of the left kidney, liver, colon, and small intestine, whereas the RUQ contains the gallbladder and the right parts of the liver, kidney, stomach, small intestine, and colon. The LLQ has the small intestine, the ureter, and the female reproductive organs. However, the appendix, the cecum, some parts of the ureter, and female reproductive organs are present in the RLQ.
A more detailed regional approach subdivides the cavity with one horizontal line immediately inferior to the ribs, one immediately superior to the pelvis, and two vertical lines drawn as if dropped from the midpoint of each clavicle (collarbone). This method uses two transverse and two parasagittal planes intersecting like a tic-tac-toe grid on the abdomen. It subdivides nine smaller regions with the centermost umbilical region, with the superiorly located epigastric and inferior hypogastric or pubic region. The umbilicus region is composed of the navel, small intestine, transverse colon, and the bottom of both kidneys. The epigastric region contains the stomach, portions of the liver, the pancreas, the spleen, the duodenum, and the adrenal glands. Lateral to the umbilical, the right lumbar region holds the gallbladder and the ascending colon, whereas the left lumbar region holds the descending colon and the left kidney.
The right hypochondriac region is lateral to the epigastric region and contains the right part of the liver, the right kidney, and gallbladder. The spleen, the left kidney, part of the stomach, the pancreas, and the colon occupy the left hypochondriac region. The hypogastric region includes the bladder, the sigmoid colon, the anus, the uterus, and ovaries in females and the prostate in males. The right and left inguinal or iliac regions are lateral to the hypogastric region. The right iliac region contains the appendix, the right iliac fossa, and the cecum. The left iliac region has the descending and sigmoid colon and the left iliac fossa.
Clinical significance: 
The quadrants and regions are used to locate the source of pain and help determine the appropriate treatment. For example, pain in the LUQ is indicative of kidney stones, inflammatory or irritable bowel disease, and ovarian cysts. Pain in the RLQ suggests Crohn&#39;s disease, endometriosis, and inguinal hernia, whereas LLQ pain is a symptom of pelvic inflammatory diseases. Pain in the RUQ is common in gastric reflux or pancreatitis, while right iliac pain is generally associated with appendicitis.
This text is adapted from <a href="https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/1-6-anatomical-terminology">Openstax, Anatomy and Physiology 2e, Section 1.6:Anatomical terminology</a>

To promote clear communication, for instance, about the location of a patient&#39;s abdominal pain or a suspicious mass, anatomists and clinicians ...

Education

JoVE Core

Anatomy and Physiology

Unit 1

Introduction to the Human Body

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

abdominal pain and organ location

The abdominal cavity is divided into quadrants and regions to help locate organs and describe pain clearly. Clinicians and anatomists use imaginary lines to mark the abdominopelvic cavity. This system makes it easier to communicate about a patient’s symptoms or a suspicious mass.

The simpler method divides the area into four quadrants. One horizontal line and one vertical line cross at the umbilicus, or navel. These quadrants are the right upper quadrant, right lower quadrant, left upper quadrant, and left lower quadrant.

The left upper quadrant contains the stomach, spleen, pancreas, and the left parts of the left kidney, liver, colon, and small intestine. The right upper quadrant contains the gallbladder and the right parts of the liver, kidney, stomach, small intestine, and colon. The left lower quadrant contains the small intestine, the ureter, and the female reproductive organs. The right lower quadrant contains the appendix, the cecum, some parts of the ureter, and female reproductive organs.

A more detailed method divides the cavity into nine regions. It uses one horizontal line just below the ribs, one just above the pelvis, and two vertical lines dropped from the midpoint of each clavicle, or collarbone. These lines form a grid with two transverse planes and two parasagittal planes, like a tic-tac-toe board on the abdomen.

The center region is the umbilical region. It contains the navel, small intestine, transverse colon, and the lower part of both kidneys. Above it is the epigastric region, which contains the stomach, parts of the liver, the pancreas, the spleen, the duodenum, and the adrenal glands.

To the sides of the umbilical region are the right lumbar and left lumbar regions. The right lumbar region holds the gallbladder and the ascending colon. The left lumbar region holds the descending colon and the left kidney. The right hypochondriac region lies beside the epigastric region and contains the right part of the liver, the right kidney, and gallbladder. The left hypochondriac region contains the spleen, left kidney, part of the stomach, the pancreas, and the colon.

The lower middle area is the hypogastric or pubic region. It includes the bladder, sigmoid colon, anus, uterus, ovaries in females, and prostate in males. On each side are the right and left inguinal, or iliac, regions. The right iliac region contains the appendix, the right iliac fossa, and the cecum. The left iliac region contains the descending and sigmoid colon and the left iliac fossa.

These quadrants and regions help identify where pain starts and guide treatment. Pain in the left upper quadrant may point to kidney stones, inflammatory or irritable bowel disease, or ovarian cysts. Pain in the right lower quadrant can suggest Crohn’s disease, endometriosis, or an inguinal hernia. Left lower quadrant pain may be a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease, while right upper quadrant pain is common in gastric reflux or pancreatitis. Right iliac pain is generally associated with appendicitis.

Abdominal Pain and Organ Location

overview of anatomy and physiology

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regional terms

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directional terms

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The abdominal cavity is divided into quadrants and regions to help locate organs and describe pain clearly. Clinicians and anatomists use imaginary lines to mark the abdominopelvic cavity. This system makes it easier to communicate about a patient’s symptoms or a suspicious mass. The simpler method divides the area into four quadrants. One horizontal line and one vertical line cross at the umbilicus, or navel. These quadrants are the right upper quadrant, right lower quadrant, left upper...

key terms and concepts

Learn how abdominal quadrants and nine regions help identify organs, describe pain, and connect symptoms to common conditions in the abdomen.

Abdominal Pain and Organ Location | JoVE K12

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Abdominal Pain and Organ Location

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