Compressibility

This is a feature of fluid filled lumps.

Compressibility may be seen if a lump can be compressed until it disappears and then will spontaneously reform. This sign is often seen in venous vascular malformations where there is a low intravascular pressure.

The terms compressibility and reducibility are open to confusion. Reducibility is a features of hernias. In these cases the lump can be 'pushed' away into a different place. The lump seen in a hernia will not reform spontaneously and requires an additional force eg gravity, raised intra-abdominal pressure - caused by coughing.