Pain from a hollow viscus is often referred to which areas and is more intense with peritoneal involvement?

• A. Back or abdomen; peritoneal involvement
• B. Face; dehydration
• C. Lower limbs; muscle strain
• D. Pelvic region; vascular disease

Answer: (A)

Visceral pain from hollow organs is often felt in body wall areas served by the same spinal segments as the organ’s nerves, typically the back or the abdomen. The brain tends to mislocalize these dull, crampy signals as coming from those regions. When the peritoneum is irritated or inflamed, the parietal peritoneum’s somatic nerves produce sharper, more localized, and more intense pain, often with guarding. That combination—referred pain to back or abdomen that worsens with peritoneal involvement—fits hollow-viscera pain best. The other options don’t align with this pattern (facial pain, dehydration-related symptoms, limb or muscle strain pain, or pelvic/vascular issues).