Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome: Examination

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

• General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body weight, height; further:
  • Inspection (viewing).
    • Skin, mucous membranes and sclerae (white part of the eye).
    • Abdomen (abdomen)
      • Shape of the abdomen?
      • Skin color? Skin texture?
      • Efflorescences (skin changes)?
      • Pulsations? Bowel movements?
      • Visible vessels?
      • Scars? Hernias (fractures)?
  • Examination of the 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 abdomen (tenderness?, tapping pain?, coughing pain?, guarding tension?, hernial orifices?, renal bearing tapping pain?) [recurrent ulcers of stomach and/or small intestine (>90%)]
• Digital rectal examination (DRU): examination of the rectum (rectum) and adjacent organs with the finger by palpation: assessment of the prostate in size, shape and consistency.
• Health check

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