2048
A clinical dermatological sign.
The sign is present when slight rubbing of the skin results in exfoliation of the outermost layer, and forms a blister within minutes.
It occurs when slight rubbing of the skin results in exfoliation of the outermost layer.
It is a dislodgement of intact superficial epidermis by a shearing force, indicating a plane of cleavage in the skin at the dermal-epidermal junction.
There is thinner, weaker attachments of the skin lesion itself to the normal skin, resulting in easier dislodgement.
Nikolsky’s sign is almost always present in Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis and Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome, caused by the exfoliative toxin of Staphylococcus aureus.
Nikolsky’s sign is also associated with pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus.
It is useful in differentiating between bullous pemphigoid where it is absent.
Almost always present in toxic epidermal necrolysis, and is associated with pemphigus vulgaris, and scalded skin syndrome.