Right upper quadrant (abdomen)
- Right upper quadrant (abdomen)
The right upper quadrant of the human abdomen, often abbreviated as RUQ, is used to refer to a portion of the abdomen that allows doctors to localise pain and tenderness, scars, lumps and other items of interest. The RUQ extends from the median plane to the right of the patient, and from the umbilical plane to the right ribcage.
The term is not used in comparative anatomy, since most other animals do not stand erect. The equivalent term for animals is 'right anterior quadrant'.
Important organs
* Liver
* Gall bladder with biliary tree
* Duodenum
* Head of pancreas
* Hepatic flexure of colon
Clinical significance
The RUQ may be painful and/or tender in such conditions as hepatitis, cholecystitis, and peptic ulcer.
ee also
* Murphy's sign
External links
* http://anatomy.med.umich.edu/modules/abdominal_viscera_module/abdominal_01.html
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Abdomen — Female Belly In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen (belly) constitutes the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity. In arthropods it is the most distal section … Wikipedia
Quadrant — A quarter. For example, the liver is in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. * * * One quarter of a circle. In anatomy, roughly circular areas are divided for descriptive purposes into quadrants. The abdomen is divided into right upper and… … Medical dictionary
Computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis — Intervention An CT scan image showing a ruptured a abdominal aortic aneurysm ICD 9 CM … Wikipedia
RUQ — Abbreviation for the right upper quadrant (quarter). The RUQ of the abdomen contains the liver and the gallbladder. (By contrast, LUQ stands for the left upper quadrant, LLQ stands for the left lower quadrant, and RLQ stands for the right lower… … Medical dictionary
Human anatomical terms — make up a distinct nomenclature to describe areas of the body, to provide orientation when describing parts of human anatomy, cite web | url=http://www.bartleby.com/107/1.html| title= Introduction page, Anatomy of the Human Body . Henry Gray.… … Wikipedia
RLQ — Abbreviation for the right lower quadrant (quarter) of the abdomen. The RLQ of the abdomen contains the appendix. (By contrast, RUQ stands for the right upper quadrant, LUQ stands for the left upper quadrant, and LLQ stands for the left lower… … Medical dictionary
Abdominal pain — can be one of the symptoms associated with transient disorders or serious disease. Making a definitive diagnosis of the cause of abdominal pain can be difficult, because many diseases can result in this symptom. Abdominal pain is a common problem … Wikipedia
LUQ — Abbreviation for the left upper quadrant (quarter). The LUQ of the abdomen contains the spleen. (By contrast, RUQ stands for the right upper quadrant, LLQ stands for the left lower quadrant, and RLQ stands for the right lower quadrant.) * * *… … Medical dictionary
Cholecystitis — Classification and external resources Micrograph of a gallbladder with cholecystitis and cholesterolosis. ICD 10 … Wikipedia
LLQ — Abbreviation for the left lower quadrant (quarter). The LLQ of the abdomen contains the descending portion of the colon. (By contrast, RUQ stands for the right upper quadrant, LUQ stands for the left upper quadrant, and RLQ stands for the right… … Medical dictionary
