A patient with obstruction at the ampulla of Vater, distension of the gallbladder, and painless jaundice is associated with which sign?

The presence of painless jaundice, along with gallbladder distension due to obstruction at the ampulla of Vater, is commonly associated with Courvoisier's sign. This sign refers specifically to the observation of an enlarged gallbladder in the setting of jaundice caused by a biliary obstruction, often due to a mass or tumor in the head of the pancreas or other structures compressing the bile duct.

In this scenario, the obstruction at the ampulla leads to increased pressure within the biliary system, causing the gallbladder to become distended while allowing bile to back up and create jaundice without associated pain. This relationship highlights the significance of recognizing the gallbladder's state as a visual cue in clinical assessment.

Other conditions, like a choledochal cyst, involve congenital abnormalities of the bile duct, which doesn't directly relate to the patient’s current symptoms of obstructive jaundice and gallbladder distension due to an external obstructive cause. Similarly, while the term “hydropic gallbladder” may be used to describe a distended gallbladder, it doesn't specifically link to the context of painless jaundice caused by obstruction. Lastly, Kehr's sign is a different clinical sign associated with splenic