Abdominal quadrant

Abdominal Quadrant

The abdominal quadrant is a division of the abdomen into four sections, used for the purposes of diagnosis and study in medicine and anatomy. The quadrants are defined by the intersection of the median plane and the transumbilical plane, which divide the abdomen both vertically and horizontally, respectively.

Definition

The abdominal quadrants are defined by two planes: the median plane and the transumbilical plane. The median plane is a vertical line that divides the body into left and right halves, while the transumbilical plane is a horizontal line that passes through the umbilicus, dividing the body into upper and lower halves. The intersection of these two planes creates the four quadrants of the abdomen.

Quadrants

The four quadrants of the abdomen are:

• Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ): This quadrant contains parts of the liver, the gallbladder, the right kidney, and parts of the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.

• Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ): This quadrant contains parts of the liver, the stomach, the pancreas, the left kidney, and parts of the small and large intestines.

• Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ): This quadrant contains the right ureter, the right ovary and fallopian tube in women, the appendix, and parts of the small and large intestines.

• Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ): This quadrant contains the left ureter, the left ovary and fallopian tube in women, and parts of the small and large intestines.

Clinical Significance

The division of the abdomen into quadrants allows for easier and more precise identification of symptoms and conditions. For example, pain in the RLQ could indicate appendicitis, while pain in the LUQ could indicate a problem with the stomach or pancreas.

See Also

• Abdomen
• Median plane
• Transumbilical plane
• Appendicitis