Cullen’s sign [Thomas S. Cullen, American gynecologist, 1868–1953] , the appearance of faint, irregularly formed hemorrhagic patches on the skin around the umbilicus. The discolored skin is usually blue-black and becomes greenish brown or yellow. Cullen’s sign may appear 1 to 2 days after the onset of anorexia and the severe, poorly localized abdominal pains that are characteristic of acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis. It is also present in massive upper GI hemorrhage and ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Compare Grey Turner’s sign. See also pancreatitis.
