Murphy's sign

The Murphy's sign, named after the American surgeon John Benjamin Murphy (1857-1916), is a clinical sign (symptom) which can be triggered by physical examination and speaks of the presence of cholelithiasis.

For this purpose, the lower edge of the right costal arch is palpated; the patient is asked to inhale deeply ( inspiration). Because of the breathing maneuver the gallbladder moves during inspiration down and pushes against the fingers of the examiner. When the gallbladder is inflamed, the patient feels a pain on pressure and stops the breathing motion prematurely.

The sign is not to be confused with Courvoisier's sign, in which the gallbladder is not painful, but enlarged and bulging elastic.