Which physical finding is most characteristic of appendicitis?

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Multiple Choice

Which physical finding is most characteristic of appendicitis?

Localized abdominal tenderness in the right lower quadrant reflects the main issue in appendicitis. The inflamed appendix irritates the adjacent peritoneum, producing focal tenderness at McBurney’s point and often accompanied by rebound tenderness, guarding, or rigidity in the RLQ. Pain classically starts around the periumbilical area and migrates to the RLQ, and the physical exam highlights this localized tenderness as the most characteristic finding. Other options don’t fit the pattern: blood pressure changes are nonspecific, hypoglycemia isn’t related to appendicitis, and a Murphy sign tests the gallbladder and would point toward acute cholecystitis rather than appendicitis.

Localized abdominal tenderness in the right lower quadrant reflects the main issue in appendicitis. The inflamed appendix irritates the adjacent peritoneum, producing focal tenderness at McBurney’s point and often accompanied by rebound tenderness, guarding, or rigidity in the RLQ. Pain classically starts around the periumbilical area and migrates to the RLQ, and the physical exam highlights this localized tenderness as the most characteristic finding.

Other options don’t fit the pattern: blood pressure changes are nonspecific, hypoglycemia isn’t related to appendicitis, and a Murphy sign tests the gallbladder and would point toward acute cholecystitis rather than appendicitis.

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