Irritation of the meningeal layers surrounding the brain and spinal cord with neck stiffness.
Refers to rigidity of the neck with forward flexion of the neck in a patient in the supine position.
Causes include: infection, bleeding from a subarachnoid hemorrhage, and tonsillar herniation, so that infectious meningitis cannot be presumed to be the only possibility.
Has a 70% sensitivity for detecting meningitis.