Meningeal signs

“Brudziński neck sign, Brudziński symphyseal sign, Brudziński cheek sign, Brudzinski's reflex”

Polish pediatrician Józef Polikarp Brudziński (1874–1917)

#MedTwitter #neurotwitter #EndNeurophobia #tweetorials

1/
Definitions

Meningitis
-inflammation of leptomeninges & underlying subarachnoid CSF

Meningismus
-morbid state characterized by meningitic syndrome (triad: headache, photophobia, nuchal rigidity)

Meningism
-synonymous of meningismus
-neck stiffness w/o meningeal inflammation
2/
Mechanism

“maneuvers used to elicit meningeal signs produce tension on inflamed and hypersensitive spinal nerve roots, and the resulting signs are postures, protective muscle contractions, or other movements that minimize the stretch and distortion of the meninges and roots”

3/
Diagnostic value

a. Kernig's sign (Thomas et al 2002)
SN 5% SP 95% PPV 27% NPV 72%

b. absence of fever, neck stiffness, and altered mental status (DeJong)
exclude meningitis (SN 99%)

4/
Maneuvers used to elicit meningeal signs

a. Nuchal (cervical) rigidity
b. Kernig's sign
c. Brudzinski's neck sign
d. Brudzinski's contralateral reflex sign
e. Tripod or Amoss's or Hoyne's sign
f. Others

5/
Nuchal rigidity

a. relax neck muscles by supine patient to edge of bed& allow head to hang outside bed
b. place your hand under patient's head & try to flex neck, touch chin to chest
c. resistance implies diffuse irritation of cervical nerve roots from meningeal

6/
Nuchal rigidity

via: Endeavour For Child Health

7/
Kernig's sign

a. flex hip&knee on 1-side while patient is supine
b. now, extend knee w/ hip still flexed
c. +, if hamstring spasm results in pain in post thigh & difficulty w/ knee extension
d. severe inflammation of meninges, the opposite knee may also flex

8/
Kernig's sign

via: Neuron Bundle

9/
Kernig's sign

via: Dr. Akash Gangane

10/
Kernig's sign

via: Dr Aishwarya Kelkar Medical Lectures

11/
Brudzinski's neck sign

a.supine patient, place one of your hand behind his head & other on his/her chest
b. now, flex patient’s head with hand behind head, while your hand on chest restrains patient and prevents him/her from rising
c.+, if the patient flexes hips and knees.

12/
Brudzinski's neck sign

via: Dr. Akash Gangane

13/
Brudzinski's neck sign

via: Dr. Akash Gangane

14/
Brudzinski's neck sign

via: MBBS VPASS

15/
Brudzinski's contralateral reflex

a.2 parts: identical&reciprocal contralateral reflex
b.identical: contralateral leg bends w/ passive flexion of patient's hip&knee on 1-side
c.reciprocal: +, when contralateral leg that has flexed reflexly begins to extend (little kick)

16/
Brudzinski's contralateral reflex sign

via: Endeavour For Child Health

17/
Tripod, Amoss, Hoyne sign

Patient is asked to sit up in bed. Health, sits up w/o supporting himself
Meningeal irritation: patient tries to sit up by supporting himself w/ his hands placed far behind him in bed, to take the weight off the spine and prevent its flexion.

18/
Bikele sign

Positive, in meningeal inflammation and in brachial plexitis

19/
Josef Brudzinski discoveries

Polish pediatrician Josef Brudzinski who had described four different maneuvers for the diagnosis of meningitis in the early-20th century

Brudziński cheek sign
Brudziński symphyseal sign
Brudzinski's reflex
Brudzinski's sign

20/
Guilland's sign
- pinching the skin over the quadriceps femoris muscle or squeezing the muscle on one side cause flexion of contralateral hip and knee

Edelmann great toe phenomenon
- flexion of the hip with the knee extended cause extension of the great toe

21/
Binda sign
- passively alternating rapidly turning the head, the opposite shoulder is raised

Plantar neck
- Babinski when flexing the head

Flatau sign
- midriasis by Brudzinski’s sign

Parrot sign
- midriasis by skin pinch

22/
Skeer sign
- peripupillary rim (TB meningitis)

Magnus sign
- turning the head to the side, the patient extends the arm rostral and flexes caudal

Lewinson sign
- when asking the patient to touch his chest with his chin, he opens his mouth in an attempt to do so

23/
Lafora sign
- hypersensitivity when gently stimulating the nasal mucosa

Signorelli sign
- hyperesthesia when performing the Foix maneuver

Arnos sign
- By asking the patient to get up from the supine position with his arms crossed, he cannot execute it

24/
Trousseau sign (meningitic line)
- vasomotor phenomenon, imprint left by a finger or blunt object as it passes over the skin surface

Jolt sign
- headache accentuation, when patient is asked to turn his head horizontally 2-3 rotations/sec

25/
Shotgun trigger
- classic trunk flexion position with neck hyperextension

Jacoud sign
- bradycardia by Brudzinski’s sign (TB meningitis)

Lesague sign
- When lifting a child by armpits, he remains in the air with his legs bent

26/
NeuroTeach - Content

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Have a great day!

27/

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Median nerve illustration by Guttmann (1939)

#MedTwitter #neurotwitter #EndNeurophobia #tweetorials

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Definition

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Sensory zones

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The first description of the paradoxical (inverted) triceps reflex

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Definition

“elicitation of the movement opposite to that normally seen when the reflex is elicited”

2/
Mechanism

“a lesions simultaneously affecting the roots and spinal cord”

Damaged root
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Damaged spinal cord
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“after a fright, or in an unexpected joyous movement, this convulsive constriction occurs in all limbs…the victim can not stand upright”

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1/ Image
Definition

“difficulty in relaxation of a muscle after maximum voluntary contraction”

It can be specifically
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Myotonic or Tennessee fainting goat

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8C + 12T + 5L + 5S + 1 coccygeal
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1/ Image
Definition

“rhythmic vertical laryngeal cage movements of varying frequency with synchronous movements of the tongue, posterior pharynx, and the palatopharyngeal arch”

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2/ Image
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Functional

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