Cullen's sign
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2008-06-29T15:05:38Z
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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]]