Hegar's sign is a non-sensitive indication of
pregnancy
Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins.
Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ca ...
in women—its absence does not exclude pregnancy. It pertains to the features of the
cervix
The cervix or cervix uteri (Latin, 'neck of the uterus') is the lower part of the uterus (womb) in the human female reproductive system. The cervix is usually 2 to 3 cm long (~1 inch) and roughly cylindrical in shape, which changes during ...
and the
uterine isthmus
The uterine isthmus is the inferior-posterior part of uterus, on its cervical end — here the uterine muscle (myometrium) is narrower and thinner. It connects the body and cervix.
The uterine isthmus can become more compressibile in pregnancy, ...
. It is demonstrated as a softening in the consistency of the uterus, and the uterus and
cervix
The cervix or cervix uteri (Latin, 'neck of the uterus') is the lower part of the uterus (womb) in the human female reproductive system. The cervix is usually 2 to 3 cm long (~1 inch) and roughly cylindrical in shape, which changes during ...
seem to be two separate regions.
The sign is usually present from 4–6 weeks
until the 12th week of pregnancy. Hegar's sign is more difficult to recognize in
multiparous
In biology and human medicine, gravidity and parity are the number of times a woman is or has been pregnant (gravidity) and carried the pregnancies to a viable gestational age (parity). These terms are usually coupled, sometimes with additional t ...
women.
Interpretation: On bimanual examination (two fingers in the anterior fornix and two fingers below the uterus per abdomen), the abdominal and vaginal fingers seem to oppose below the body of uterus (examination must be gentle to avoid abortion).
This sign was repeatedly demonstrated and described by
Ernst Ludwig Alfred Hegar
Ernst Ludwig Alfred Hegar, ''aka'' Alfred Hegar, was a German gynecologist famous for developing new medical tools and techniques. He was born on 6 January 1830 in Darmstadt, Germany and died on 5 August 1914. He was buried in Breisgau.
Hegar wa ...
, a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
gynecologist
Gynaecology or gynecology (see spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, forming the combined area ...
, in 1895. Hegar credited Reinl, one of his assistants, who originally described this sign in 1884.
See also
*
Chadwick's sign Chadwick sign is a bluish discoloration of the cervix, vagina, and labia resulting from increased blood flow. It can be observed as early as 6 to 8 weeks after conception, and its presence is an early sign of pregnancy.
These colour changes were ...
*
Goodell's sign In medicine, Goodell's sign is an indication of pregnancy. It is a significant softening of the vaginal portion of the cervix from increased vascularization. This vascularization is a result of hypertrophy and engorgement of the vessels below the gr ...
*
Ladin's sign Ladin's sign is a clinical sign of pregnancy in which there is softening in the midline of the uterus anteriorly at the junction of the uterus and cervix. It occurs and is detectable with a manual examination at about 6 weeks' gestation. Ladin's s ...
References and further reading
*E. Sonntag ''Das Hegar'sche Schwangerschaftzeichen'' Leipzig, 1892. Ca. 20 pp. Sammlung Klinischer Vorträge herausgegeben, Leipzig, Neue Folge no. 58.
*A. Hegar ''Diagnose der frühesten Schwangerschaftsperiode'' Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift, Berlin, 1895, 21 (35): 565–567.
Obstetrics
Medical signs
Midwifery
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