Which sign describes yellow-blue bruising around the umbilicus and may indicate intra-abdominal pathology?

Which sign describes yellow-blue bruising around the umbilicus and may indicate intra-abdominal pathology?

• A. Grey Turner's sign
• B. Ecchymosis
• C. Boryborygmus
• D. Cullen's sign

Answer: (D)

Periumbilical ecchymosis, Cullen’s sign, signals intra-abdominal bleeding. Blood from inside the abdomen tracks to the subcutaneous tissue around the umbilicus, producing yellow-blue bruising in that area. This sign can appear with conditions like acute pancreatitis, ruptured ectopic pregnancy, or other intraperitoneal hemorrhages, and it often takes several hours to develop. The key is its location: around the navel points to intraperitoneal bleeding rather than retroperitoneal or generalized bruising. In contrast, bruising on the flanks describes Grey Turner's sign and suggests retroperitoneal involvement, while borborygmus refers to bowel sounds, not a bruising sign.

Periumbilical ecchymosis, Cullen’s sign, signals intra-abdominal bleeding. Blood from inside the abdomen tracks to the subcutaneous tissue around the umbilicus, producing yellow-blue bruising in that area. This sign can appear with conditions like acute pancreatitis, ruptured ectopic pregnancy, or other intraperitoneal hemorrhages, and it often takes several hours to develop. The key is its location: around the navel points to intraperitoneal bleeding rather than retroperitoneal or generalized bruising. In contrast, bruising on the flanks describes Grey Turner's sign and suggests retroperitoneal involvement, while borborygmus refers to bowel sounds, not a bruising sign.