palpation

medicine
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://mainten.top/science/palpation
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

palpation, medical diagnostic examination with the hands to discover internal abnormalities. By palpation the physician may detect enlargement of an organ, excess fluid in the tissues, a tumour mass, a bone fracture, or, by revealing tenderness, the presence of inflammation (as in appendicitis). Irregular heartbeat or vibrations of the chest can sometimes be diagnosed by palpation.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.