Cullen's sign

Cullen's sign is superficial oedema and bruising in the subcutaneous fatty tissue around the umbilicus.

It is named for Thomas Stephen Cullen (1869–1953), gynecologist who first described the sign in ruptured ectopic pregnancy in 1916.

This sign takes 24–48 hours to appear and can predict acute pancreatitis, with mortality rising from 8–10% to 40%. It may be accompanied by Grey Turner's sign (bruising of the flank), which may then be indicative of pancreatic necrosis with retroperitoneal or intraabdominal bleeding.