Which sign is characterized by stiffness of the neck and resistance to neck flexion?

Which sign is characterized by stiffness of the neck and resistance to neck flexion?

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

Answer: (C)

Neck stiffness with resistance to passive neck flexion is nuchal rigidity, a sign of meningeal irritation. When the meninges are inflamed, as in meningitis, the neck muscles tense up and a clinician cannot flex the neck easily; the maneuver is painful and limited. This sign is a classic indicator of meningeal involvement and helps distinguish meningitis from other conditions. Other signs of meningitis involve different provocative maneuvers: Kernig's sign shows pain or resistance when trying to extend the knee with the hip flexed, and Brudzinski's sign is involuntary flexion of the hips and knees when the neck is flexed. Babinski sign, on the other hand, is an abnormal plantar reflex indicating an upper motor neuron lesion and is not related to meningeal irritation.

Neck stiffness with resistance to passive neck flexion is nuchal rigidity, a sign of meningeal irritation. When the meninges are inflamed, as in meningitis, the neck muscles tense up and a clinician cannot flex the neck easily; the maneuver is painful and limited. This sign is a classic indicator of meningeal involvement and helps distinguish meningitis from other conditions.

Other signs of meningitis involve different provocative maneuvers: Kernig's sign shows pain or resistance when trying to extend the knee with the hip flexed, and Brudzinski's sign is involuntary flexion of the hips and knees when the neck is flexed. Babinski sign, on the other hand, is an abnormal plantar reflex indicating an upper motor neuron lesion and is not related to meningeal irritation.