Oliver's sign
Encyclopedia
Oliver's sign, or the tracheal tug sign, is an abnormal downward movement of the trachea
during systole
that can indicate a dilation or aneurysm
of the aortic arch
.
Oliver's sign is elicited by gently grasping the cricoid cartilage and applying upward pressure while the patient stands with his or her chin extended upward.
Due to the anatomic position of the aortic arch, which overrides the left main bronchus
, a downward tug of the trachea
may be felt if an aneurysm is present.
The sign was first described by English
military surgeon
William Silver Oliver
in 1878.
Vertebrate trachea
In tetrapod anatomy the trachea, or windpipe, is a tube that connects the pharynx or larynx to the lungs, allowing the passage of air. It is lined with pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium cells with goblet cells that produce mucus...
during systole
Systole (medicine)
Systole is the contraction of the heart. Used alone, it usually means the contraction of the left ventricle.In all mammals, the heart has 4 chambers. The left and right ventricles pump together. The atria and ventricles pump in sequence...
that can indicate a dilation or aneurysm
Aneurysm
An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...
of the aortic arch
Aortic arch
The arch of the aorta or the transverse aortic arch is the part of the aorta that begins at the level of the upper border of the second sternocostal articulation of the right side, and runs at first upward, backward, and to the left in front of the trachea; it is then directed backward on the left...
.
Oliver's sign is elicited by gently grasping the cricoid cartilage and applying upward pressure while the patient stands with his or her chin extended upward.
Due to the anatomic position of the aortic arch, which overrides the left main bronchus
Bronchus
A bronchus is a passage of airway in the respiratory tract that conducts air into the lungs. The bronchus branches into smaller tubes, which in turn become bronchioles....
, a downward tug of the trachea
Vertebrate trachea
In tetrapod anatomy the trachea, or windpipe, is a tube that connects the pharynx or larynx to the lungs, allowing the passage of air. It is lined with pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium cells with goblet cells that produce mucus...
may be felt if an aneurysm is present.
The sign was first described by English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
military surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
William Silver Oliver
William Silver Oliver
William Silver Oliver, M.D. was an Irish-born Canadian military surgeon remembered for describing Oliver's sign. He graduated in Halifax, Nova Scotia and entered the Army in 1857, serving mainly in India and Canada. He was Honorary Deputy Surgeon-General stationed at Halifax, Nova Scotia on his...
in 1878.
See also
- Aortic aneurysmAortic aneurysmAn aortic aneurysm is a general term for any swelling of the aorta to greater than 1.5 times normal, usually representing an underlying weakness in the wall of the aorta at that location...
- Cardarelli's signCardarelli's signCardarelli's sign is an abnormal pulsation of the trachea that may be found in patients with a dilation or aneurysm of the aortic arch.Cardarelli's sign can be felt by a physician pressing on the thyroid cartilage and displacing it to the patient's left...