Hoover's

Hoover's sign is a sign in medicine, named after Dr. Charles Franklin Hoover, that is used to detect fake paralysis or malingering. It is based on the principle that if a patient is pretending to have paralysis of the leg, they will still use the hip girdle muscles to maintain balance when they think they are unobserved.

Description

Hoover's sign is a physical examination maneuver that can be used to test the authenticity of symptoms of paralysis. It is performed by having the patient lie flat and asking them to raise one leg. The examiner then places a hand under the heel of the other leg. If the patient genuinely cannot raise their leg, the downward pressure on the hand under the other heel will increase as they attempt to lift their leg. If the patient is malingering, there will be no downward pressure on the hand under the other heel.

History

Hoover's sign was described by Dr. Charles Franklin Hoover, an American internist, in 1908. He noted that when a patient with genuine hemiplegia tries to raise the paralyzed leg, the contralateral leg will push down into the bed, whereas a malingering patient will not exert pressure on the contralateral leg.

Clinical significance

Hoover's sign is used in the clinical setting to differentiate between organic and non-organic or functional weakness. It is a useful tool in the diagnosis of conversion disorder, a psychiatric disorder in which patients present with physical symptoms that have no identifiable physical cause.

See also

• Physical examination
• Malingering
• Conversion disorder
• Hemiplegia

References

Hoover's Resources
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