Assessment of acute abdominal pain in the pregnant patient.

The request to image a pregnant patient with abdominal pain often leads to concern and frustration for the referring clinician as well as the radiologist. In this report we will review the basic principles of radiation safety when imaging the pregnant woman, consider the diagnostic possibilities for the causes of abdominopelvic pain, and discuss the available imaging modalities to provide a basis for tailoring an imaging plan to the individual patient.