Gordon's sign

Gordon's sign
Synonyms	Paradoxical flexor reflex
Pronounce	N/A
Specialty	Neurology
Symptoms	Dorsiflexion of the big toe upon squeezing the calf muscle
Complications	N/A
Onset	N/A
Duration	N/A
Types	N/A
Causes	Upper motor neuron lesion
Risks	N/A
Diagnosis	N/A
Differential diagnosis	Babinski sign, Chaddock's sign, Oppenheim's sign
Prevention	N/A
Treatment	Address underlying neurological disorder
Medication	N/A
Prognosis	Depends on the underlying condition
Frequency	Rare
Deaths	N/A

Gordon's sign is a clinical sign in which there is involuntary flexion of the fingers when the muscles of the forearm are squeezed. It is found in patients with pyramidal tract lesions, and is one of a number of Babinski-like responses.

Clinical use

Gordon's sign is used in the clinical setting to identify lesions of the pyramidal tract. The sign is positive when squeezing the muscles of the forearm causes the fingers to involuntarily flex. This is due to overactivity of the flexor muscles of the fingers, which is a characteristic feature of pyramidal tract lesions.

History

The sign is named after Alfred Gordon, a neurologist who first described the sign in 1908.

See also

• Babinski sign
• Hoffmann's sign
• Tromner's sign

References

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