What is the surface marking of Traube's (Traube's) space?

Traube's Space Surface Marking

Traube's space is located in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen, bounded by the left 6th rib superiorly, the left costal margin laterally, and the left midaxillary line medially. This space is clinically important for assessing splenic enlargement through percussion techniques 1, 2.

Anatomical Boundaries and Location

• Traube's space is a semi-lunar area located in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen 1
• The space is bounded by:
  • Superior border: left 6th rib 2
  • Lateral border: left costal margin 1
  • Medial border: left midaxillary line 1
• The space overlies the stomach and, in normal conditions, produces a tympanitic sound on percussion due to the air-filled stomach 3

Clinical Significance

• Percussion of Traube's space is a useful clinical screening test for splenomegaly with a sensitivity of 67% and specificity of 75% 2
• When Traube's space becomes dull to percussion instead of tympanitic, it suggests splenic enlargement 1
• The clinical utility of Traube's space assessment is maximized when both percussion and palpation techniques are combined 2

Examination Technique

• The patient should be examined in a supine position 1
• Percussion should be performed systematically from the tympanitic area toward the suspected area of dullness 3
• For optimal results, examination should be conducted more than two hours after mealtime to reduce false-positive results 3

Factors Affecting Accuracy

• Body habitus significantly impacts the accuracy of Traube's space percussion:
  • Obesity increases false-negative examinations due to increased abdominal wall thickness 3
  • The BMI of false-negative cases is significantly higher (29.43 kg/m²) 2
• Recent meals can cause false-positive results due to stomach distension 3
• When combining percussion with palpation techniques, the diagnostic accuracy increases significantly 1, 2

Comparative Effectiveness

• Traube's space percussion compares favorably with other commonly used clinical maneuvers for detecting splenomegaly 3
• Palpation techniques like Middleton's maneuver and supine palpation have higher specificity (96.87%) but lower sensitivity (44.44%) compared to Traube's space percussion 2, 4
• The optimal clinical assessment of splenic enlargement includes percussion of Traube's space first, followed by palpation if dullness is detected 1

When performed correctly and in appropriate patients (non-obese, fasting state), percussion of Traube's space provides valuable clinical information for the initial assessment of splenic enlargement, though it is not sufficiently sensitive or specific to replace imaging studies when definitive diagnosis is required 3.