Chvostek sign

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The location of the facial nerve

The Chvostek sign is a clinical sign of an existing nerve over-excitability ( tetany ). The Chvostek's sign is checked by tapping the trunk of the facial nerve , 1–2 cm anterior to the earlobe . With subsequent contraction of the facial muscles , the Chvostek sign is positive.

The simple possibility of testing makes the Chvostek mark an orienting method of examination if hypocalcemia (calcium deficiency) is suspected , for example after surgery on the thyroid gland . There is a risk of damage to or inadvertent removal of the parathyroid glands during these operations . This can lead to a so-called hypoparathyroidism , which is associated with a calcium deficiency, among other things.

The sign is named after the Austrian doctor Franz Chvostek (1835–1884).

Further clinical signs in the presence of tetany are the Trousseau sign and the Faust sign .

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