Mickey Mouse sign is a

medical sign Signs and symptoms are the observed or detectable signs, and experienced symptoms of an illness, injury, or condition. A sign for example may be a higher or lower temperature than normal, raised or lowered blood pressure or an abnormality showi ...

resembling the head of Mickey Mouse, the

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

character. Presented for the very first time at the CHIVA's Meeting, Berlin 2002 by Dr. Lurdes Cerol, this sign has been described as the image at the

groin In human anatomy, the groin (the adjective is ''inguinal'', as in inguinal canal) is the junctional area (also known as the inguinal region) between the abdomen and the thigh on either side of the pubic bone. This is also known as the medial co ...

when a dilated accessory saphenous vein (ASV) exists: the common femoral vein (CFV) represents the head of Mickey Mouse while the great saphenous vein (GSV) and the dilated accessory saphenous vein (ASV) represent the ears. The presence of a Mickey Mouse sign has been a great diagnostic clue to check ASV insufficiency. Some authors, inspired by this sign, described an ecographic "Mickey Mouse View" at the saphenofemoral junction in the

: the common femoral vein (CFV) represents the head of Mickey Mouse while the great saphenous vein (GSV) and the

femoral artery The femoral artery is a large artery in the thigh and the main arterial supply to the thigh and leg. The femoral artery gives off the deep femoral artery or profunda femoris artery and descends along the anteromedial part of the thigh in the f ...

(CFA) represent the ears. But it can be seen in different regions of the body: *

Midbrain The midbrain or mesencephalon is the forward-most portion of the brainstem and is associated with vision, hearing, motor control, sleep and wakefulness, arousal ( alertness), and temperature regulation. The name comes from the Greek ''mesos'', " ...

progressive supranuclear palsy Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a late-onset degenerative disease involving the gradual deterioration and death of specific volumes of the brain. The condition leads to symptoms including loss of balance, slowing of movement, difficulty ...

(PSP). * Polyostotic Paget's disease (Paget's disease affecting multiple bones); a

bone scintigraphy A bone scan or bone scintigraphy is a nuclear medicine imaging technique of the bone. It can help diagnose a number of bone conditions, including cancer of the bone or metastasis, location of bone inflammation and fractures (that may not be vis ...

with technetium-99m methylene bisphosphonate shows increased uptake at the sites of disease activity. Increased scintigraphic uptake in the body and spine of the

vertebrae The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates, Hagfish are believed to have secondarily lost their spinal column is a moderately flexible series of vertebrae (singular vertebra), each constituting a characteristi ...

resembles the head of Mickey Mouse. * The portal triad in biliary

ultrasound Ultrasound is sound waves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is not different from "normal" (audible) sound in its physical properties, except that humans cannot hear it. This limit varies fr ...

scans, with the

portal vein The portal vein or hepatic portal vein (HPV) is a blood vessel that carries blood from the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, pancreas and spleen to the liver. This blood contains nutrients and toxins extracted from digested contents. App ...

comprising Mickey's head and the

common bile duct The common bile duct, sometimes abbreviated as CBD, is a duct in the gastrointestinal tract of organisms that have a gallbladder. It is formed by the confluence of the common hepatic duct and cystic duct and terminates by uniting with pancr ...

and hepatic artery his right and left ears, respectively. *

Pelvic The pelvis (plural pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis, or pelvic skeleton). The ...

Mickey Mouse sign: bilateral inguinal vesical hernia on transverse axial imaging. * Dysmorphic Mickey Mouse RBCs: RBCs with irregular cell walls and migration of

hemoglobin Hemoglobin (haemoglobin BrE) (from the Greek word αἷμα, ''haîma'' 'blood' + Latin ''globus'' 'ball, sphere' + ''-in'') (), abbreviated Hb or Hgb, is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein present in red blood cells (erythrocyte ...

into some areas creating the shape of Mickey Mouse ears. The presence of these dysmorphic cells in

urine Urine is a liquid by-product of metabolism in humans and in many other animals. Urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the urinary bladder. Urination results in urine being excreted from the body through the urethra. Cellular ...

may indicate intraglomerular

haemorrhage Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, vag ...

. * Ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO)

References

{{reflist Medical signs Midbrain Mickey Mouse