With the patient lying supine and neck flexed to bring chin toward the chest, neck stiffness with resistance to flexion is noted. This is which sign?

With the patient lying supine and neck flexed to bring chin toward the chest, neck stiffness with resistance to flexion is noted. This is which sign?

• A. Brudzinski's sign
• B. Kernig's sign
• C. nuchal rigidity sign
• D. Babinski's sign

Answer: (C)

Neck rigidity with resistance to passive neck flexion when you bring the chin toward the chest is nuchal rigidity, a sign of meningeal irritation. It signals processes like meningitis or subarachnoid hemorrhage affecting the meninges. This differs from the other signs: Brudzinski’s sign involves automatic flexion of the hips and knees when the neck is flexed; Kernig’s sign is pain or resistance to extending the knee when the hip is flexed; Babinski’s sign is an upgoing plantar response indicating an upper motor neuron lesion. So the described finding specifically reflects meningeal irritation through limited neck flexion, i.e., nuchal rigidity.

Neck rigidity with resistance to passive neck flexion when you bring the chin toward the chest is nuchal rigidity, a sign of meningeal irritation. It signals processes like meningitis or subarachnoid hemorrhage affecting the meninges. This differs from the other signs: Brudzinski’s sign involves automatic flexion of the hips and knees when the neck is flexed; Kernig’s sign is pain or resistance to extending the knee when the hip is flexed; Babinski’s sign is an upgoing plantar response indicating an upper motor neuron lesion. So the described finding specifically reflects meningeal irritation through limited neck flexion, i.e., nuchal rigidity.