Higouménakis' sign
is a unilateral enlargement of the sternoclavicular portion of the
clavicle
The clavicle, or collarbone, is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately 6 inches (15 cm) long that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on the left and one on the rig ...
, seen in
congenital syphilis
Congenital syphilis is syphilis present ''in utero'' and at birth, and occurs when a child is born to a mother with syphilis. Untreated early syphilis infections results in a high risk of poor pregnancy outcomes, including saddle nose, lower ext ...
. It is an end result of neonatal
periostitis
Periostitis, also known as periostalgia, is a medical condition caused by inflammation of the periosteum, a layer of connective tissue that surrounds bone. The condition is generally chronic, and is marked by tenderness and swelling of the bone an ...
.
The
sign
A sign is an object, quality, event, or entity whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else. A natural sign bears a causal relation to its object—for instance, thunder is a sign of storm, or me ...
was named for
George Higoumenakis
Georgios "George" Higoumenakis (1895–27 December 1983) was a Greek dermatologist born in Kastelli, Iraklion, Crete, Ottoman Empire. He was the first to describe Higoumenakis' sign.
Career
Higoumenakis studied medicine at the Medical School of ...
, who first described it in 1927 in the Greek periodical ''Proceedings of the Medical Society of Athens'' (Πρακτικά Ιατρικής Εταιρείας Αθηνών). He subsequently published the description of the sign in a German article, making it more known among
dermatologist
Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist is a specialist medical ...
s.
See also
*
List of cutaneous conditions
Many skin conditions affect the human integumentary system—the organ system covering the entire surface of the body and composed of skin, hair, nails, and related muscle and glands. The major function of this system is as a barrier against t ...
References
Bibliography
* Higoumenakis KG: Higoumenakis's sign and its significance for the diagnosis of congenital syphilis. Dermatologische Wochenschrift 154(30):697-705 (1968).
* Higoumenakis G: A new stigma of hereditary syphilis. Proceedings of the Medical Society of Athens. 687-699 (1927).
n Greek* Higoumenakis G: Neues Stigma der kongenitalen Lues. Die Vergrößerung des sternalen Endes des Rechten Schlüsselbeins, seine Beschreibung, Deutung and Ätiologie. Deutsche Zeitschrift für Nervenheilkunde. 114(4):288-299 (1930)
* Frangos CC, Frangos CC: George Higoumenakis (1895–1983): Greek dermatologist. Journal of Medical Biography 17(2):64-72 (2009)
* Frangos CC, Frangos CC: George Higoumenakis (1895–1983), Dermatologist: The Tale of 'Higoumenakis Sign' in Congenital Syphilis and His Life Achievements. Analecta Historico Medica (Supplement 1-part III):133-137 (2008)
* Φράγκος ΚΧ: Γέωργιος Κ. Ηγουμενάκης. BioMedResearch.gr, Ιούνιος 2009
Medical signs
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