William sign

William's sign is one of the chest examination items. There are three cases: ① When there is a large amount of pleural effusion, the patient takes a seated position, and the examiner examines his chest from top to bottom with equal strength, and compares the sides. If the second intercostal space on the affected side presents a high-pitched voiced sound, the lower one is a voiced drum sound, and the lower one is a solid sound, which is the sign. ② In the early stage of apical tuberculosis, when the ipsilateral diaphragm muscle is inhaled, the motion is weakened; ③ For chronic adhesive pericarditis, the patient is instructed to take a supine position. The examiner spreads his five fingers slightly, places his right hand flat on the anterior region of his heart, his left hand flat on the corresponding part of his right chest, and his thumbs meet on the midline Let the patient take a deep breath and observe how much his hands are raised. Normally, both hands are raised and lowered at the same time with breathing, and the amplitude is equal. If you find a hand placed in the anterior region of the heart, the amplitude of the patient's breathing is lower than that on the right side. This sign is caused by the restricted adhesion of the left lung due to the adhesion of the pericardium and the pleura, which results in the adhesion of the lungs.

The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis, or recommended treatments.