• • Feel For A palpable mass within the abdomen, noting its:
  • Location
  • Size
  • Shape
  • Consistency
  • Mobility

Abdominal Mass

• Right hypochondrium - liver, gallbladder, head of pancreasHepatomegaly, gallbladder enlargement, pancreatic head carcinoma
• Epigastrium - pancreas, stomachPancreatic tumour, gastric tumour, colonic tumour, bezoar
• Left hypochondrium- spleen, pancreas, stomach, colonPancreatic tumour, gastric tumour
• Right lumbar - ascending colon, kidneyRenal tumour
• Umbilicus - small bowel, aortaAbdominal aortic aneurysm, umbilical hernia
• Left lumbar - descending colon, kidneyRenal tumour
• Right iliac fossa - appendix, caecum, ovaryAppendiceal abscess, caecal tumour, hernia, faecal loading
• Hypogastrium - uterus, bladder, sigmoid colonUrinary retention, faecal loading, sigmoid tumour
• Left iliac fossa - sigmoid colon, ovaryDiverticular abscess, sigmoid tumour, hernia, faecal loading
• Flank - kidney, retroperitoneumRenal cyst / tumour, retroperitoneal lymphoma

• Ovarian masses are not appreciable by abdominal palpation. Even the largest of ovarian mass may only be palpable by bimanual examination.