Lhermitte sign
Written and reviewed by Dr Ibrahim Imam, Consultant Neurologist. Last reviewed .
Lhermitte sign. This is a shock-like or electric-like sensation radiating down the spine. Fully referenced neurology checklist.
Pathology
- This is a shock-like or electric-like sensation radiating down the spine
- It is triggered by neck flexion or rotation
- It is caused by stretching of damaged dorsal columns sensory axons
- This may involve the cervical or thoracic spinal cord
Variants
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Inflammatory causes
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Metabolic causes
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Developmental causes
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Traumatic causes
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Neoplastic causes
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Drug-induced
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Iatrogenic causes
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Infective causes
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Degenerative causes
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Other causes
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Reported symptomatic treatments
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Synonym
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References
- Newton HB, Rea GL. Lhermitte's sign as a presenting symptom of primary spinal cord tumor. J Neurooncol 1996; 29:183-188.
- Gemici C. Lhermitte's sign: Review with special emphasis in oncology practice. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2010; 74:79-86.
- Gautier-Smith PC. Lhermitte's sign in subacute combined degeneration of the cord. JNNP 1973; 36:861-863.
- Kempster PA, Rollinson RD. The Lhermitte phenomenon: variant forms and their significance. J Clin Neurosci 2008; 15:379-381.
- Chen JJ, Kung KL, Chen CJ, Yeh YS, Chen DL, Tang YM. Reverse Lhermitte's phenomenon provoked by cervical cord compression. Acta Neurol Taiwan 2012; 21:35-38.
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