Lhermitte's sign

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Related to Lhermitte's sign: Uhthoff's phenomenon

Lhermitte's sign

[lār´-mēts´]

a sensation like an electric shock coursing down the spine when the neck is flexed; a fairly common sign in multiple sclerosis.

Lhermitte's sign

[ler′mits]

Etymology: Jacques J. Lhermitte, French neurologist, 1877-1959

sudden, transient, electric-like shocks spreading down the body when the head is flexed forward, occurring chiefly in multiple sclerosis but also in compression disorders of the cervical spinal cord. The sign is usually elicited by the examiner when the patient is supine.

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References in periodicals archive ?

Pain may take the form of trigeminal neuralgia -- sharp pains in areas of the face, or Lhermitte's sign, an electric-shock-like pain that travels down the arms and back.

The ten biggest myths about MS

Dorsal column involvement: loss of position and vibration sense, ataxia, broad-based gait, and, occasionally, Lhermitte's sign.