Research progress on abdominal epilepsy in children

Abdominal epilepsy (AE) is a type of focal autonomic epilepsy characterized by recurrent paroxysmal abdominal pain as the primary clinical manifestation. It is relatively more common in children and adolescents and is often accompanied by autonomic nervous system dysfunction and altered consciousness. Due to its atypical clinical presentation and symptom overlap with gastrointestinal disorders, AE is frequently misdiagnosed or overlooked in clinical practice. Advances in neuroimaging, electroencephalography (EEG), and molecular biology have deepened the understanding of AE’s pathogenesis and diversified its diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. This article systematically reviews and critically appraises recent research on AE in children, covering epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. By evaluating the strengths and limitations of the existing evidence (predominantly from case reports, small case series, and a limited number of controlled studies), it aims to highlight reliable conclusions, identify knowledge gaps, and inform future clinical practice and research priorities.