Bruising over the right upper quadrant could indicate injury to which of the following?
A. Liver
B. Colon
C. Kidney
D. Appendix
Answer
The correct option is A. Liver
Bruising over the right upper quadrant of abdomen may account for liver injury. The liver is in the right upper quadrant, under the ribs on your right side. It occupies a vast area that covers the upper abdomen. The liver is susceptible to injury though blunt trauma or penetrating forces into the abdomen due to its size and position. Bruises or lacerations on the liver that have resulted from an injury can cause internal bleeding, with blood collecting and spreading in one’s abdominal cavity. This subcutaneous hemorrhage presents as bruising of the overlying abdominal wall. So the presence of a bruise on physical exam over the right upper quadrant is indicative of underlying liver injury and should prompt further diagnostic investigation. If bleeding from liver injury is not promptly recognized and treated, it can result in severe to life-threatening manifestations. To sum up, its anatomical position in the upper right quadrant and bruising around it suggests liver damage.
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