Recurrent abdominal pain in school children: the loneliness of the long-distance physician.

The recurring of abdominal pain can be a taxing clinical ordeal for the primary care physician or consultant. It often is a test of stamina, of diagnostic self-confidence, of fiscal constraint, and of vigilance for rare conditions. The clinician is apt to be haunted by the lingering question: "Am I missing something?" That which might or might not be "missed" comprises the content as well as the rationale for this review.