Rare diseases · Sign or symptom

Trousseau sign

HP:6000919

What it means

After inflating a blood pressure cuff from 10 mm Hg to 20 mm Hg over the patient's systolic blood pressure, the Trousseau sign is considered positive if carpal spasm develops, with flexion of the thumb and adduction of the finger within 3 minutes. However, this can be painful, so the time should be noted, and the cuff should be deflated once the test is positive.

Rare diseases that can present with this2

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Carpal spasm

Trousseau sign

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This page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.