Right lower quadrant (abdomen)
Encyclopedia
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
as RLQ, is used to refer to a portion of the abdomen that allows doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s to localise pain and tenderness, scars, lumps and other items of interest. The RLQ extends from the median plane
Median plane
The median plane is a Midsagittal plane which bisects the body vertically through the navel, dividing the body exactly in left and right side.Sagittal plane is any plane parallel to the median plane....
to the right of the patient, and from the umbilical plane
Umbilical plane
The umbilical plane is the transverse plane passing through the umbilicus.This is similar to the location of the mid-transverse plane, which is the transverse plane made through the waist, into roughly two halves: the torso, arms and head on the top, and the pelvis and legs at the bottom. That is...
to the right inguinal ligament
Inguinal ligament
The inguinal ligament is a band running from the pubic tubercle to the anterior superior iliac spine. Its anatomy is very important for operating on hernia patients.-Anatomy:...
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The term is not used in comparative anatomy
Comparative anatomy
Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of organisms. It is closely related to evolutionary biology and phylogeny .-Description:...
, since most other animals do not stand erect. The equivalent term for animals is 'right posterior quadrant'.
Important organs
- CecumCecumThe cecum or caecum is a pouch, connecting the ileum with the ascending colon of the large intestine. It is separated from the ileum by the ileocecal valve or Bauhin's valve, and is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is also separated from the colon by the cecocolic...
- AppendixVermiform appendixThe appendix is a blind-ended tube connected to the cecum , from which it develops embryologically. The cecum is a pouchlike structure of the colon...
- Ascending Colon
- Right ovaryOvaryThe ovary is an ovum-producing reproductive organ, often found in pairs as part of the vertebrate female reproductive system. Ovaries in anatomically female individuals are analogous to testes in anatomically male individuals, in that they are both gonads and endocrine glands.-Human anatomy:Ovaries...
and Fallopian tubeFallopian tubeThe Fallopian tubes, also known as oviducts, uterine tubes, and salpinges are two very fine tubes lined with ciliated epithelia, leading from the ovaries of female mammals into the uterus, via the utero-tubal junction... - Right ureterUreterIn human anatomy, the ureters are muscular tubes that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. In the adult, the ureters are usually long and ~3-4 mm in diameter....
Clinical significance
The RLQ may be painful and/or tender in such conditions as appendicitisAppendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
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Differential diagnosis
In children:- GastroenteritisGastroenteritisGastroenteritis is marked by severe inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract involving both the stomach and small intestine resulting in acute diarrhea and vomiting. It can be transferred by contact with contaminated food and water...
, mesenteric adenitis, Meckel's diverticulitisMeckel's diverticulumA Meckel's diverticulum, a true congenital diverticulum, is a small bulge in the small intestine present at birth. It is a vestigial remnant of the omphalomesenteric duct , and is the most frequent malformation of the gastrointestinal tract...
, intussusceptionIntussusceptionIntussusception may refer to:* Intussusception * Intussusception...
, Henoch-Schönlein purpuraHenoch-Schönlein purpuraHenoch–Schönlein purpura is a disease of the skin and other organs that most commonly affects children. In the skin, the disease causes palpable purpura ; often with joint and abdominal pain...
, lobar pneumoniaPneumoniaPneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
In adults:
- regional enteritis, renal colicRenal colicRenal colic is a type of abdominal pain commonly caused by kidney stones.-Presentation:The pain typically begins in the abdomen and often radiates to the hypochondrium or the groin. The pain is often colicky due to ureteric peristalsis, but may be constant...
, perforated peptic ulcerPeptic ulcerA peptic ulcer, also known as PUD or peptic ulcer disease, is the most common ulcer of an area of the gastrointestinal tract that is usually acidic and thus extremely painful. It is defined as mucosal erosions equal to or greater than 0.5 cm...
, testicular torsionTesticular torsionTesticular torsion is when the spermatic cord to a testicle twists, cutting off the blood supply. The most common symptom is acute testicular pain and the most common underlying cause is a congenital malformation known as a "bell-clapper deformity". The diagnosis is often made clinically but if it...
, pancreatitisPancreatitisPancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. It occurs when pancreatic enzymes that digest food are activated in the pancreas instead of the small intestine. It may be acute – beginning suddenly and lasting a few days, or chronic – occurring over many years...
, rectus sheath hematomaRectus sheath hematomaA rectus sheath hematoma is an accumulation of blood in the sheath of the rectus abdominis muscle. It causes abdominal pain with or without a mass....
, pelvic inflammatory diseasePelvic inflammatory diseasePelvic inflammatory disease is a generic term for inflammation of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and/or ovaries as it progresses to scar formation with adhesions to nearby tissues and organs. This may lead to infections. PID is a vague term and can refer to viral, fungal, parasitic, though most...
, ectopic pregnancyEctopic pregnancyAn ectopic pregnancy, or eccysis , is a complication of pregnancy in which the embryo implants outside the uterine cavity. With rare exceptions, ectopic pregnancies are not viable. Furthermore, they are dangerous for the parent, since internal haemorrhage is a life threatening complication...
, endometriosisEndometriosisEndometriosis is a gynecological medical condition in which cells from the lining of the uterus appear and flourish outside the uterine cavity, most commonly on the ovaries. The uterine cavity is lined by endometrial cells, which are under the influence of female hormones...
, torsion/rupture of ovarian cystOvarian cystAn ovarian cyst is any collection of fluid, surrounded by a very thin wall, within an ovary. Any ovarian follicle that is larger than about two centimeters is termed an ovarian cyst. An ovarian cyst can be as small as a pea, or larger than an orange....
In elderly:
- diverticulitisDiverticulitisDiverticulitis is a common digestive disease particularly found in the large intestine. Diverticulitis develops from diverticulosis, which involves the formation of pouches on the outside of the colon...
, intestinal obstruction, colonic carcinoma, mesenteric ischemiaMesenteric ischemiaMesenteric ischemia is a medical condition in which inflammation and injury of the small intestine result from inadequate blood supply. Causes of the reduced blood flow can include changes in the systemic circulation or local factors such as constriction of blood vessels or a blood clot...
, leaking 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...
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