Cullen's sign
| Cullen's sign | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Cullen's sign | |
| Specialty | Various |
Cullen's signis superficialedemaandbruisingin the subcutaneous fatty tissue around theumbilicus.
It is named forgynecologistThomas Stephen Cullen(1869–1953),[1]who first described the sign in rupturedectopic pregnancyin 1916.[2]
This sign takes 24–48 hours to appear and can predictacute pancreatitis,with mortality rising from 8–10% to 40%. It may be accompanied byGrey Turner's sign[3](bruising of the flank), which may then be indicative of pancreatic necrosis withretroperitonealor intra-abdominal bleeding.
Causes
[edit]Causes include:
- acute pancreatitis, wheremethemalbuminformed from digested blood tracks around the abdomen from the inflamed pancreas
- bleeding from bluntabdominaltrauma
- bleeding fromaortic rupture
- bleeding from rupturedectopic pregnancy
Importance of the sign is on a decline since better diagnostic modalities are now available.
References
[edit]- ^synd/1386atWho Named It?
- ^T.S. Cullen. Embryology, anatomy, and diseases of the umbilicus together with diseases of the urachus. Philadelphia, Saunders, and London, 1916.
- ^Bosmann M, Schreiner O, Galle PR (April 2009). "Coexistence of Cullen's and Grey Turner's signs in acute pancreatitis".Am. J. Med.122(4): 333–4.doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2008.08.032.PMID19332225.