Gowers's sign
Gowers's sign
Gowers's sign (pronounced: /ˈɡaʊ.ərz/ sign) is a medical term named after the British neurologist, Sir William Richard Gowers. This sign is used to describe a specific type of movement or maneuver that is observed in patients suffering from certain neuromuscular disorders, particularly Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Etymology
The term "Gowers's sign" is derived from the name of its discoverer, Sir William Richard Gowers. Gowers first described this sign in 1879 in his manual of diseases of the nervous system.
Description
Gowers's sign is a clinical sign that is elicited when a patient attempts to rise from a squatting position. In a positive Gowers's sign, the patient uses their hands and arms to "walk" up their own body from a squatting position due to lack of hip and thigh muscle strength.
Related Terms
- Duchenne muscular dystrophy: A genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness due to the alterations of a protein called dystrophin that helps keep muscle cells intact.
- Neuromuscular disorder: A broad term that encompasses many diseases and ailments that impair the functioning of the muscles, either directly, being pathologies of the voluntary muscle, or indirectly, being pathologies of nerves or neuromuscular junctions.
- Clinical sign: Observable evidence of medical condition that is seen or detected on physical examination of the patient.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Gowers's sign
- Wikipedia's article - Gowers's sign
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