Courvoisier sign (hepatobiliary)
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Hacking C, Knipe H, Bell D, et al. Courvoisier sign (hepatobiliary). Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 17 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-40219
rID:
40219
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Craig Hacking had no recorded disclosures.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Henry Knipe had the following disclosures:
- Integral Diagnostics, Shareholder (ongoing)
- Micro-X Ltd, Shareholder (ongoing)
These were assessed during peer review and were determined to not be relevant to the changes that were made.
View Henry Knipe's current disclosures
Revisions:
6 times, by
5 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- Courvoisier law
- Courvoisier's law
- Courvoisier's sign
- Courvoisier's gallbladder
- Courvoisier gallbladder
- Courvoisier-Terrier's sign
- Courvoisier-Terrier sign
Courvoisier sign or Courvoisier-Terrier sign states that in a patient with painless jaundice and an enlarged gallbladder (or right upper quadrant mass), the cause is unlikely to be gallstones and therefore presumes the cause to be an obstructing pancreatic or biliary neoplasm until proven otherwise 1.
History and etymology
The sign was described by Swiss surgeon Ludwig Georg Courvoisier (1843-1918) in 1890 1,2.
References
- 1. Rastogi V, Singh D, Tekiner H, Ye F, Kirchenko N, Mazza JJ, Yale SH. Abdominal Physical Signs and Medical Eponyms: Physical Examination of Palpation Part 1, 1876-1907. (2018) Clinical medicine & research. 16 (3-4): 83-91. doi:10.3121/cmr.2018.1423 - Pubmed
- 2. Ludwig Courvoisier (1843-1918). Courvoisier's sign. (1968) JAMA. 204 (7): 627. Pubmed
Incoming Links
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