Percussion For Splenomegaly
The normal human spleen measures about 125 millimeters in length, and splenomegaly is an important clinical sign. There are 2 possibilities to evaluate splenomegaly in the clinical examination: percussion and palpation. Percussion can be done in this space.
Beneath Traube's space lies the stomach, which produces a tympanic sound on percussion. Dullness to percussion over Traube's space may indicate splenomegaly, although this can also be a normal finding after a meal. Assessing dullness to percussion may be more difficult in obese patients.
A 1993 systematic review by The Rational Clinical Examination found that, as a test for splenomegaly, percussion over Traube's space yields a sensitivity and specificity of 62% and 72%, respectively. Specificity may be higher if the patient has not eaten in the last two hours.
Read more about this topic: Traube's Space
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