In a female with abdominal pain of childbearing years and missed period, what is an automatic differential diagnosis?

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When a woman of childbearing age has abdominal pain and a missed period, pregnancy enters the differential right away. Among pregnancy-related conditions, an ectopic pregnancy is prioritized because implantation outside the uterus—most often in a fallopian tube—can rupture and cause life-threatening internal bleeding. This combination of abdominal pain with amenorrhea strongly points to an ectopic pregnancy, making it the automatic concern to rule out first. Other causes like appendicitis or ovarian torsion can cause similar pain but aren’t inherently linked to a missed period, and pancreatitis is less likely in this context. In practice, you would pursue pregnancy testing and imaging to determine location, and treat as a potential rupture if signs of instability are present.