It tends to develop within 24 to 48 hours and typically triggers when the condition is severe.
Cullen sign can also occur in people withectopic pregnancy,ruptured aneurysm,esophageal cancer, and internal bleeding.
Cullen sign is relatively rare.
This article describes the symptoms and causes of Cullen sign.
It also explains how diseases associated with Cullen sign are diagnosed and treated.
Several conditions can cause this, including:
Acute Pancreatitis
Thepancreasis an organ that producesdigestive enzymesand hormones.
Pancreatitis comes up whenever digestive enzymes are activated before being released into thesmall intestine.
These enzymes can damage the pancreas, causing pain and the formation ofpancreatic cysts.
If the enzymes leak into the abdomen, they can damage blood vessels and lead to internal bleeding.
The appearance of Cullen sign is associated with an increased risk of death in people with acute pancreatitis.
Abdominal Trauma
Traumatic injury to the abdomen can causeinternal bleedingthat results in Cullen sign.
Ectopic Pregnancy
Anectopic pregnancyhappens when a fertilized egg implants outside theuterus, most commonly in thefallopian tubes.
Ectopic pregnancies are not viable, meaning they cant come to term.
With an ectopic pregnancy, Cullen sign is a clear indication of a medical emergency.
Other symptoms include extreme abdominal or pelvic pain, lightheadedness, and fainting.
The bulging causes a weakened area of tissue that can easily rupture (burst).
Theabdominal aortais the part of the aorta that moves blood from the heart to the abdomen.
In most cases, ovarian cysts do not cause any symptoms.
However, some ovarian cysts are hemorrhagic, meaning that they are filled with blood.
If the hemorrhagic ovarian cyst grows large enough, it can burst, causing Cullen sign.
Esophageal Cancer
Esophageal canceraffects the tube that connects the throat to the stomach, called theesophagus.
Symptoms of esophageal cancer are often absent until the disease is advanced.
Symptoms includedysphagia(difficulty swallowing), chest pain, nausea, andhematemesis(bloody vomit).
Cullen sign typically appears when the cancer hasmetastasized(spread throughout the body).
Theprognosisis generally poor if Cullen sign develops.
The biopsy is typically performed whenliver canceris suspected.
A percutaneous liver biopsy is a minimally invasive procedure.
In rare cases, however, the procedure can cause excessive bleeding that can lead to Cullen sign.
Amoebiasis
Entamoeba histolyticais a pop in of amoeba that causesamoebiasis.
The single-cell parasite targets the liver, causing the buildup of pus at the site of the infection.
E. histolytica-associated amoebiasis is a rare tropical disease seen in areas with poor sanitation and crowded conditions.
It can lead to a range of severe symptoms, including explosive diarrhea, stomach pain, and cramping.
Amoebic dysentery is a severe form of the disease associated with bloody diarrhea, high fever.
Cullen sign is a common symptom.
Strangulated Umbilical Hernia
Theumbilical cordconnects the mother and fetus during pregnancy.
The cord is cut after birth and heals up to form the belly button.
This can lead to a gap in the muscles surrounding the belly button.
Diagnosis
Cullen sign is not a disease, but a symptom of a disease or medical condition.
In and of itself, it is not diagnostic of any medical condition.
If you develop Cullen sign, you should probably seek immediate care to determine if the cause is serious.
These may include:
Treatment
There is no treatment for Cullen sign.
Rather, the underlying cause is treated.
In some cases, emergency medical care is required.
Other causes may require hospitalization.
Surgery may be needed in severe situations.
Ectopic pregnancy may be treated withlaparoscopic surgeryor drugs likemethotrexatethat stop cells from growing.
Cancers may be treated with surgery,chemotherapy, orradiation.
including pancreatitis, ectopic pregnancy, abdominal trauma, ruptured aortic aneurysms, and certain cancers.
Diagnosis and treatment is based on the underlying cause.
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