Cullen's sign 1309011 222473655 2008-06-29T15:05:38Z SpBot 7016748 robot Adding: [[de:Cullen-Zeichen]] '''Cullen's sign''' is blue-black [[bruise|bruising]] of the area around the [[umbilicus]]. Thomas. S. Cullen (1869-1953) was an [[obstetrician]] and first described the sign in ruptured ectopic pregnancy in 1916. This sign takes 24-48 hours to appear and predicts a severe attack of acute pancreatitis, with mortality rising from 8-10% to 40%. It may be accompanied by [[Grey-Turner's sign]] (bruising of the [[flank]]), which may then be indicative of Pancreatic necrosis with retroperitoneal or intraabdominal bleeding. ==Causes== Causes include: * [[acute pancreatitis]], where [[methaemalbumin]] formed from digested blood tracks around the abdomen from the inflamed pancreas * bleeding from blunt [[abdomen|abdominal]] [[physical trauma|trauma]] * bleeding from ruptured [[ectopic pregnancy]] Importance of the sign is on a decline since better diagnostic modalities are now available ==External links== * {{WhoNamedIt|synd|1386}} * {{GPnotebook|745209861}} * [http://edinsight.com/DSC02612.jpg Photo at edinsight.com] [[Category:Medical signs]] [[de:Cullen-Zeichen]] [[pl:Objaw Cullena]] [[pt:Sinal de Cullen]]