Stomach pain confusion
Q My 12-year-old was rushed to hospital with suspected appendicitis, but they said it was just swollen glands because she had a sore throat! How can that cause stomach pains?
Kelly, West Wickham
A It’s called mesenteric adenitis, which means inflamed glands in the abdomen, and usually affects children or teenagers.
An infection such as a sore throat or stomach bug causes lymph glands, part of the body’s immune system, to swell. Besides obvious swelling in the neck or groin, glands inside the abdomen might enlarge and start to hurt. Usually the pain is worst in the lower right-hand part of the abdomen, exactly the spot that’s painful and tender in appendicitis, so it’s easily mistaken.
But adenitis is harmless and will clear up on its own…
