| Colic | |
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| The cholic (1819)George Cruikshank | |
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| Specialty | Gastroenterology,Urology |
Colic orcholic (/ˈkɒlɪk/)[1] is a form ofpain that starts and stops abruptly. Colic pain is usually caused by the obstruction of asmooth muscle passageway in the body (e.g. thesmall orlarge intestine,bile duct, orureter). The obstruction triggers muscular contractions (peristalsis) to force the blockage out of the organ, resulting in episodic pain that fluctuates with the contractions.[2] Although the term primarily refers to pain caused by this mechanism, any pain which occurs in episodes or fluctuates in intensity may be termed colic or colicky pain.
Colic episodes can cause extreme pain,nausea,sweating, andvomiting.[2] The blockage of important passageways in the body can lead to severe and potentially fatal complications if not cleared, such ascholecystitis in the case ofbiliary colic, or inkidney stone disease. Although the action of peristalsis can sometimes clear such blockages without medical intervention,surgery or other medical therapies designed to remove the obstruction may be necessary for treatment of the condition.[3][4]
The term is from Ancient Greek κολικός (kolikos) 'relative to thecolon' and was first used in the sense of an acute, episodic abdominal pain in thePromptorium Parvulorum, completed sometime around 1440.[5] In the modern day, the term is more often used to refer tobaby colic, a condition in infants of excessive crying which typically does not have anorganic cause. The usage of the term colic in this latter sense became prevalent by the mid-20th century inpediatric journals.[6]
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