I have been experiencing right upper quadrant discomfort for about a year now. What might be the reason?

Question

Hi doctor,

I have been experiencing right upper quadrant discomfort for about a year now. First, the doctor I consulted believed it to be intercostal neuritis and gave me an injection. However, the pain or discomfort did not leave. I have had three ultrasounds. The first and third did not show anything abnormal, but the doctor said that he saw a bit of inflammation in that region on the second ultrasound. He gave an antibiotic, which did not take away the discomfort. The discomfort is usually most noticeable when I sit, but I get a bit of relief if I lie down, and I get quite a sharp pain in the same region when I bend forward; it feels like something is swollen or pressurizing that area. What might be the reason for this discomfort? Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have read your concern and understand it. The most common causes for such symptoms are a fatty liver (excessive fat buildup in the liver) or liver abscess (a mass filled with pus inside the liver), which are identifiable with ultrasound, and problems in other organs like the gallbladder will also show in ultrasound. As you say that your ultrasound looks fine, these could not be the causes. Another probable cause of your symptoms is muscle spasms that you are experiencing recurrently. Generally, this happens due to an abnormal working posture or some sports activity. You need to identify the cause and alter the habits as giving medicine will give you temporary relief and bother you again. Kindly add more details on your work environment and lifestyle patterns to diagnose your condition in detail, and I suggest you take a CT (computerized tomography) scan of the chest and abdomen to confirm the diagnosis and guide you better. I hope this helps. Thank you.