A 65-year-old woman with known gallstones develops progressive obstructive jaundice, a palpable non-tender gallbladder, and weight loss over 3 months. The most likely diagnosis and eponym for this clinical sign is:

• A Choledocholithiasis; Murphy's sign
• B Primary sclerosing cholangitis; Charcot's triad
• C Mirizzi syndrome; Calot's triangle sign
• D Carcinoma head of pancreas; Courvoisier's sign (law) ✓

Explanation

Courvoisier's law states that in obstructive jaundice, if the gallbladder is palpable, the obstruction is unlikely to be due to stones (because a chronically diseased gallbladder with stones is fibrotic and cannot distend). A non-tender, palpable gallbladder with progressive painless jaundice strongly suggests periampullary or pancreatic head carcinoma. Murphy's sign indicates acute cholecystitis. Charcot's triad (jaundice, RUQ pain, fever) indicates cholangitis.

Reference: Bailey & Love's Short Practice of Surgery, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.