Rigler's sign

Rigler's sign, also known as the double wall sign, is seen on an x-ray of the abdomen when air is present on both sides of the intestine; a Rigler's sign is present when air is present on the inside (lumenal side) and the outside (peritoneal side). Air in the peritoneum is considered abnormal, unless the patient had a recent abdominal surgery.

Double wall sign. This is a secondary sign of pneumoperitoneum. Patient is supine, and air within the abdomen and lumen of the bowel accentuate both sides of the bowel wall.

A false double wall sign can result from two loops of bowel being in contact with one another.

The sign is named after Leo George Rigler.

See also

• Football sign - another sign of pneumoperitoneum.

Sources

• Harkin DW, Blake G. Small bowel obstruction in a young adult. Postgrad Med J. 1999 Mar;75(881):173-5. PMID 10448501. Free Full Text.

External links

• A film of Rigler's sign and the Football sign - learningradiology.com