Valentino's sign

System: Abdominal & Digestive Signs · All abdominal & digestive signs

What it is — and how it is elicited

Pain and tenderness in the right lower abdomen caused not by appendicitis but by fluid from a perforated ulcer tracking down the right side.

What a positive finding suggests

Associated with a perforated peptic ulcer mimicking appendicitis.

◈ Behind the name

Named after Rudolph Valentino (1895–1926), the silent-film star whose fatal perforated ulcer presented this way.

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Please note: This page is an educational reference about clinical examination signs. A clinical sign supports — and never replaces — a full clinical evaluation, examination and appropriate testing. A sign being present does not by itself prove a diagnosis, and an absent sign does not rule one out. If you have symptoms that worry you, see a health professional.