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Multiple Choice

Which sign describes RLQ pain when pressure is applied to the LLQ?

Rovsing's sign captures how peritoneal irritation from an inflamed appendix can produce pain in the opposite quadrant. When you press in the left lower abdomen, intraluminal contents and gas are pushed toward the cecum, which can irritate the appendix and elicit pain in the right lower quadrant. This reflexive, referred pain pattern is why RLQ pain is felt when the LLQ is palpated. This sign is commonly associated with acute appendicitis, though it isn’t perfect on its own. Other signs test different mechanisms: a general rebound tenderness test at any site; a psoas sign looks for irritation of the iliopsoas muscle often related to a retrocecal appendix and causes pain with hip extension; and an obturator sign assesses irritation of the obturator internus with internal rotation of a flexed hip, which can occur with pelvic processes.

Rovsing's sign captures how peritoneal irritation from an inflamed appendix can produce pain in the opposite quadrant. When you press in the left lower abdomen, intraluminal contents and gas are pushed toward the cecum, which can irritate the appendix and elicit pain in the right lower quadrant. This reflexive, referred pain pattern is why RLQ pain is felt when the LLQ is palpated.

This sign is commonly associated with acute appendicitis, though it isn’t perfect on its own. Other signs test different mechanisms: a general rebound tenderness test at any site; a psoas sign looks for irritation of the iliopsoas muscle often related to a retrocecal appendix and causes pain with hip extension; and an obturator sign assesses irritation of the obturator internus with internal rotation of a flexed hip, which can occur with pelvic processes.