Immunodeficiency: Examination

A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:

  • General physical examination–including blood pressure, pulse, body temperature, body weight, body height; further:
    • Inspection (viewing).
      • Skin, mucous membranes and sclerae (white part of the eye).
    • Inspection and palpation of the spine/joints.
    • Inspection of the lymph node stations
    • Examination of the abdomen (abdomen)
      • Percussion (tapping) of the abdomen
        • [Attenuation of tapping sound due to enlarged liver or spleen, tumor, urinary retention?
        • Hepatomegaly (liver enlargement) and/or splenomegaly (spleen enlargement): estimate liver and spleen size]
      • Palpation (palpation) of the abdomen (abdomen) (tenderness?, knocking pain?, coughing pain?, defensive tension?, hernial orifices?, kidney bearing knocking pain?).
    • Determination of the severity of possible malnutrition or undernutrition.
  • Cancer screening
  • Health check

Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.