Eponymythology: Atraumatic Abdominal Ecchymosis

LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog - Emergency medicine and critical care medical education blog Overview We review the original descriptions of 5 eponymous signs (n=6) associated with non-traumatic abdominal ecchymosis. These commonly cited eponyms involving the abdominal wall and flanks (Grey Turner, Cullen and Stabler); scrotum (Bryant) and upper thigh (Fox) may be useful clues directing the examiner to consider potentially serious causes of abdominal pathology. Cullen sign Thomas Stephen Cullen (1869–1953) was a Canadian gynecologist Non-traumatic peri-umbilical ecchymoses associated with intra-abdominal haemorrhage, originally described in ectopic pregnancy – Cullen sign Original publication: (n=1) 1918 – Cullen first described a bluish black discoloration of the periumbilical skin in a female patient with a ruptured extrauterine pregnancy with ‘no history of injury‘ Cullen originally described the finding at the 43rd annual meeting of the Transactions of the American gyecological society, Pennsylvania May 16-18 1918 [Am J Obstet Gynecol 1918;78:457]. He concluded that the umbilical appearance was due to intra-abdominal haemorrhage secondary to an ectopic pregnancy + TS Cullen original description expand(document.getElementById('ddet1466566632'));expand(document.getElementById('ddetlink1466566632')) Clinical context Despite the original description, most literature relates Cullen ...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Eponymythology Abdominal Ecchymosis Bryant sign Cullen sign fox sign Francis Edward Stabler George Grey Turner Grey Turner sign John Adrian Fox John Henry Bryant Stabler sign Thomas Stephen Cullen Source Type: blogs