Adson's sign is the loss of the radial
pulse
In medicine, a pulse represents the tactile arterial palpation of the cardiac cycle (heartbeat) by trained fingertips. The pulse may be palpated in any place that allows an artery to be compressed near the surface of the body, such as at the ...
in the arm by rotating head to the ipsilateral side with extended neck following deep inspiration.
It is sometimes used as a sign of
thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS).
It is named after
Alfred Washington Adson
Alfred Washington Adson (March 13, 1887 – November 12, 1951) was an American physician, military officer, and surgeon. He was in medical practice with the Mayo Clinic and the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine of the University of Minnesota at ...
.
Limitations, and pathophysiology of thoracic outlet syndrome
Adson's sign is no longer used as a positive diagnosis of TOS since many people without TOS will show a positive Adson's.
There is minimal evidence of interexaminer reliability.
Thoracic outlet obstruction may be caused by a number of abnormalities, including degenerative or bony disorders, trauma to the cervical spine, fibromuscular bands, vascular abnormalities, and spasm of the anterior scalene muscle. Symptoms are due to compression of the
brachial plexus
The brachial plexus is a network () of nerves formed by the anterior rami of the lower four cervical nerves and first thoracic nerve ( C5, C6, C7, C8, and T1). This plexus extends from the spinal cord, through the cervicoaxillary canal in th ...
and
subclavian vasculature, and consist of complaints ranging from diffuse arm pain to a sensation of arm fatigue, frequently aggravated by carrying anything in the
ipsilateral
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...
hand or doing overhead work such as window cleaning.
Process
* The patient is placed in a sitting position, hands resting on thighs.
* The examiner palpates radial pulse on side being tested
* Patient actively rotates head to ipsilateral side being tested while the examiner laterally rotates and extends the patient's shoulder
* Patient takes a deep breath and is instructed to hold it
The test is positive if radicular symptoms are reported and secondary to a diminished or loss of the radial pulse.
See also
*
White hand sign
References
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Diagnostic neurology
Symptoms and signs: musculoskeletal system
Symptoms and signs: Vascular