Which statement about visceral pain from the abdominal viscera is false?

Which statement about visceral pain from the abdominal viscera is false?

• A. Pain is transmitted via the vagus nerve
• B. The nerve fibers are type C
• C. Pain is not in a dermatomal distribution
• D. Pain is characterized by a dull aching or burning sensation

Answer: (A)

Visceral pain from abdominal organs travels mainly along unmyelinated C fibers that accompany sympathetic pathways to the dorsal root ganglia and into the spinal cord. This pathway gives pain that is slow in onset, dull, and poorly localized, often referred to to skin areas innervated by the same spinal segments. The vagus nerve, by contrast, is primarily a parasympathetic conduit with afferents that convey reflex and non-painful visceral information to the brainstem, not the main route for nociceptive signals from abdominal viscera. Because of this, stating that pain is transmitted via the vagus nerve is not accurate. The other features—C fibers carrying the pain, not being neatly confined to a single dermatomal distribution, and the dull, aching or burning quality—fit what is known about visceral abdominal pain.

Visceral pain from abdominal organs travels mainly along unmyelinated C fibers that accompany sympathetic pathways to the dorsal root ganglia and into the spinal cord. This pathway gives pain that is slow in onset, dull, and poorly localized, often referred to to skin areas innervated by the same spinal segments. The vagus nerve, by contrast, is primarily a parasympathetic conduit with afferents that convey reflex and non-painful visceral information to the brainstem, not the main route for nociceptive signals from abdominal viscera. Because of this, stating that pain is transmitted via the vagus nerve is not accurate. The other features—C fibers carrying the pain, not being neatly confined to a single dermatomal distribution, and the dull, aching or burning quality—fit what is known about visceral abdominal pain.