Pseudohypertension, also known as pseudohypertension in the elderly, noncompressibility artery syndrome, and Osler's sign of pseudohypertension is a falsely elevated
blood pressure reading obtained through
sphygmomanometry due to
calcification
Calcification is the accumulation of calcium salts in a body tissue. It normally occurs in the formation of bone, but calcium can be deposited abnormally in soft tissue,Miller, J. D. Cardiovascular calcification: Orbicular origins. ''Nature Ma ...
of
blood vessel
The blood vessels are the components of the circulatory system that transport blood throughout the human body. These vessels transport blood cells, nutrients, and oxygen to the tissues of the body. They also take waste and carbon dioxide away ...
s which cannot be compressed.
There is normal blood pressure when it is measured from within the artery.
This condition however is associated with significant cardiovascular disease risk.
[
Because the stiffened arterial walls of arteriosclerosis do not compress with pressure normally, the blood pressure reading is theoretically higher than the true intra-arterial measurement.
To perform the test, one first inflates the blood pressure cuff above systolic pressure to obliterate the radial pulse. One then attempts to palpate the radial artery, a positive test is if it remains palpable as a firm "tube".
It occurs frequently in the elderly irrespective of them being hypertensive, and has moderate to modest intraobserver and interobserver agreement.][Physical Diagnosis Secrets. Second Edition. Salvatore Mangione, MD] It is also known as "Osler's maneuver".William Osler
Sir William Osler, 1st Baronet, (; July 12, 1849 – December 29, 1919) was a Canadian physician and one of the "Big Four" founding professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital. Osler created the first residency program for specialty training of phys ...
.
References
Symptoms and signs: Vascular
William Osler
{{med-sign-stub