Obturator sign

Obturator sign is a medical sign which a doctor or other healthcare professional may look for when examining a patient who may have appendicitis. The sign is positive if the patient experiences pain in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen when the right hip is flexed and internally rotated.

Procedure

The obturator sign is elicited during a physical examination. The patient lies on their back with the right hip flexed at 90 degrees. The examiner holds the patient's right ankle with their right hand and uses their left hand to rotate the patient's hip. The patient's right knee should move in a circular motion. If the patient experiences pain in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen, the obturator sign is considered positive.

Interpretation

A positive obturator sign suggests irritation to the obturator internus muscle. This can be caused by an inflamed appendix, particularly if the appendix is located in the pelvis. However, a positive obturator sign is not definitive proof of appendicitis. Other conditions, such as a pelvic inflammatory disease or ovarian cyst, can also cause a positive obturator sign.

Limitations

The obturator sign is not a highly sensitive or specific test for appendicitis. Many patients with appendicitis do not have a positive obturator sign, and many patients with a positive obturator sign do not have appendicitis. Therefore, the obturator sign should not be used in isolation to diagnose appendicitis. It should be used in conjunction with other signs, symptoms, and diagnostic tests.

See also

• Rovsing's sign
• Psoas sign
• McBurney's point

References

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