Thumbprinting
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Radswiki T, Yu Jin T, Jones C, et al. Thumbprinting. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 15 Nov 2024) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-12089
Permalink:
rID:
12089
Article created:
20 Oct 2010,
The Radswiki ◉
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created The Radswiki had no recorded disclosures.
View The Radswiki's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Tee Yu Jin had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Tee Yu Jin's current disclosures
Revisions:
23 times, by
15 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- Thumb-printing
- Thumbprinting sign
Thumbprinting is a radiographic sign of large bowel wall thickening, usually caused by edema, related to an infective or inflammatory process (colitis). The normal haustra become thickened at regular intervals appearing like thumbprints projecting into the aerated lumen.
Pathology
Etiology
Thumbprinting may be seen in:
- inflammatory bowel disease
- infection (i.e. pseudomembranous colitis)
- ischemic bowel
- diverticulitis
- mucosal/submucosal hemorrhage 2
- lymphoma
- amyloid
- typhlitis
Radiographic features
Plain radiograph/CT
Thumb-shaped, nodular, indentations at regular intervals in the bowel wall.
Quiz questions
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References
- 1. Thoeni RF, Cello JP. CT imaging of colitis. Radiology. 2006;240 (3): 623-38. Radiology (full text) - doi:10.1148/radiol.2403050818 - Pubmed citation
- 2. Liberman M, Labos C, Wiseman J. Bowel wall "thumbprinting" in pseudomembranous colitis. Med. J. Aust. 2003;179 (2): 107. Pubmed citation
- 3. Cutinha AH, De Nazareth AG, Alla VM et-al. Clues to colitis: tracking the prints. West J Emerg Med. 2011;11 (1): 112-3. Free text at pubmed - Pubmed citation
Incoming Links
Articles:
Cases:
- Thumbprinting - ulcerative colitis
- Clostridioides difficile colitis
- Thumbprinting in the colon
- Primary renal lymphoma - Hodgkin type
- Thumbprinting
- Thumbprinting - ulcerative colitis
- Colitis - infectious
- Ulcerative colitis
- Thumbprinting
- Thumbprinting sign and its differential diagnosis
- Ulcerative colitis
- Ulcerative colitis - thumbprinting and lead pipe signs
- Pancolitis
- Thumbprinting and accordion sign
- Thumbprinting and accordion sign
- Thumbprinting: colitis
- Thumbprinting - ulcerative colitis
- Colitis - inflammatory bowel disease
- Infectious colitis
- Ulcerative colitis
Multiple choice questions: