A 35-year-old woman visited her family practitioner because she had a “bloating” feeling and an increase in abdominal girth. The family practitioner examined the lower abdomen, which revealed a mass that extended from the superior pubic rami to the level of the umbilicus. The superior margin of the mass was easily palpated, but the inferior margin appeared to be less well defined.
This patient has a pelvic mass.
When examining a patient in the supine position, the observer should uncover the whole of the abdomen.