Anatomy and body systems

RLQ medical abbreviation

RLQ means "right lower quadrant".

Each meaning matched at least two public references (3 in all for RLQ), checked October 23, 2026. The table lists them.

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What RLQ means

Example

Sample exam note: "RLQ tenderness."

A made-up line that shows the abbreviation in place. It is not about any patient and is not an instruction.

Related abbreviations

  • LLQleft lower quadrant
  • RUQright upper quadrant
  • LUQleft upper quadrant
  • CTcomputed tomography
  • CNScentral nervous system
  • GIgastrointestinal

Elsewhere on Rivvi

Questions

What does RLQ mean in medical terms?

RLQ means "right lower quadrant".

Where is RLQ used?

RLQ shows up in charting. Its category here is anatomy and body systems.

Is RLQ on the Joint Commission Do Not Use list?

No. RLQ is not on the Joint Commission Do Not Use list or the ISMP error-prone list as checked on October 23, 2026.

Source: NCI Thesaurus, including CDISC SDTM terminology (NCI EVS); NLM SPECIALIST Lexicon abbreviations file (LRABR); Army Regulation 40-66, Appendix B: Authorized Medical Records Abbreviations. Data as of October 23, 2026. Last updated October 23, 2026. How we source data. Spotted an error? Send a correction.

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