brudzinski sign

Brudzinski sign occurs in meningitis (of any etiology) or meningism where passive flexion of a patient's neck elicits reflexive bilateral knee and hip flexion; it was originally known as the "nape of the neck sign" and was one of several physical exam maneuvers concurrently described to be characteristic of meningitis.

Along with Kernig sign, which is often concurrently sought, it demonstrates poor sensitivity but moderately high specificity for the presence of meningeal inflammation .

Historical context

First described by Jósef Brudziñski (1874-1917), pediatrician from Warsaw, Poland .

Siehe auch:

• Meningitis