Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Cullen's sign, a feature in liver disease.

1974; BMJ; Volume: 1; Issue: 5906 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1136/bmj.1.5906.493

0959-8138

T A Mabin, Morrie M. Gelfand,

Long-Term Effects of COVID-19

Cullen's sign, a discoloration caused by blood around the umbilicus, has been described many times in association with a ruptured ectopic pregnancy or acute pancreatitis (Smith and Wright, 1935; Fallis, 1937).Though Hofstatter first reported its occurrence in 1909, he did not relate it to any underlying disorder, and it was Cullen (1918) who first recognized its relevance to ruptured ectopic pregnancy.A similar discoloration in the flanks was also described in acute pancreatitis by Turner in 1920, and this particular sign now bears his name.Cullen's sign has rarely been described except in these conditions.In 1922 Stemnberg reported it in association with a case of adenocarcinoma of the liver, and it was described in a case of possible cirrhosis with portal hypertension by Hellendal in 1934.We report its occurrence in two patients who were admitted to Harare Hospital within six months of each other, both diagnosed as having primary carcinoma of the liver.