Pelvic Quadrants and Their Clinical Importance

Overview

• Discussion on pelvic quadrants
• Formation of quadrants
• Examples of organs in each quadrant

Abdominal Pelvic Quadrants

• Location:
  • Inferior to the thoracic cavity
  • Separated by the diaphragm
• Superior Landmark: Diaphragm

Formation of Quadrants

• Landmark: Umbilicus (belly button)
  • Draw two perpendicular lines through the umbilicus (one vertical, one horizontal)
  • Creates four squares called quadrants
• Quadrants:
  • Upper Quadrants (UQ): Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ), Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ)
  • Lower Quadrants (LQ): Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ), Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ)

Anatomical Position

• Person standing erect, facing forward
• Palms facing forward, feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart
• Right and left sides based on the person facing us

Organs in Each Quadrant

• Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ):
  • Liver
  • Gallbladder
  • Right Kidney
  • Part of the transverse colon
• Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ):
  • Appendix
  • Cecum (part of large intestine)
  • Right ovary and right uterine tube (females)
  • Right ureter
• Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ):
  • Spleen
  • Most of the stomach
  • Left Kidney
  • Left side of the transverse colon
• Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ):
  • Sigmoid colon
  • Left ovary and left uterine tube (females)
  • Left ureter
• Small Intestine: Present in all four quadrants

Clinical Importance

• Assists in diagnosing diseases by narrowing down the affected organs
• Pain in a specific quadrant helps focus on relevant organs, speeding up diagnosis

These notes summarize the key points from the discussion on pelvic quadrants, their anatomical formation, organs located within each quadrant, and their clinical significance in diagnosing abdominal ailments efficiently.