Nikolsky's sign
Nikolsky's sign is a clinical dermatological sign, named after Pyotr Nikolsky (1858–1940), a Russian physician who trained and worked in Ukraine, which was part of the Russian Empire at that time. The sign is present when slight rubbing of the skin results in exfoliation of the outermost layer.[1][2][3][4] A typical example would be to place the eraser of a pencil on the roof of a lesion and spin the pencil in a rolling motion between the thumb and forefinger. If the lesion is opened (skin sloughed off) then the Nikolsky's sign is present/positive.
Nikolsky's sign is almost always present in toxic epidermal necrolysis[5] and is associated with pemphigus vulgaris.[6] It is useful in differentiating between pemphigus vulgaris or mucous membrane pemphigoid (where it is present) and bullous pemphigoid (where it is absent). The Nikolsky sign is dislodgement of intact superficial epidermis by a shearing force, indicating a plane of cleavage in the skin. Also present in Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome caused by the exfoliative toxin of Staphylococcus aureus.
See also
References
- ^ Moss C, Gupta E (September 1998). "The Nikolsky sign in staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome". Arch. Dis. Child. 79 (3): 290. doi:10.1136/adc.79.3.290. PMC 1717681. PMID 9875032.
- ^ "eMedicine - Pemphigus Foliaceus : Article by Robert A Schwartz".
- ^ Nikolski PV. Materiali K.uchenigu o pemphigus foliaceus [doctoral thesis]. Kiev. 1896.
- ^ "MedilinePlus: Nikolsky's sign".
- ^ Asz J, Asz D, Moushey R, Seigel J, Mallory SB, Foglia RP (December 2006). "Treatment of toxic epidermal necrolysis in a pediatric patient with a nanocrystalline silver dressing". J. Pediatr. Surg. 41 (12): e9–12. doi:10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2006.08.043. PMID 17161178.
- ^ Ma, O. Emergency Medicine Manual. McGraw Hill. 2004.