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Murphy's sign

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

A positive Murphy's sign is seen in acute cholecystitis:

  • refers to where the patient stops breathing due to pain when an examiner touches the inflamed gallbladder
  • elicited by firmly placing a hand at the costal margin in the right upper abdominal quadrant and asking the patient to breathe deeply
  • if the gallbladder is inflamed, the patient will experience pain and catch their breath as the gallbladder descends and comes in contact with the palpating hand

A similar manoeuvre in the left upper quadrant should not elicit discomfort.

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