Asboe-Hansen sign

System: Skin & Nail Signs · All skin & nail signs

What it is — and how it is elicited

Pressing gently on the roof of a blister makes the blister extend sideways into apparently normal skin.

What a positive finding suggests

Associated with blistering diseases where the skin splits easily, such as pemphigus vulgaris — an extension of the Nikolsky phenomenon.

◈ Behind the name

Gustav Asboe-Hansen (1917–1989), Danish dermatologist.

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Please note: This page is an educational reference about clinical examination signs. A clinical sign supports — and never replaces — a full clinical evaluation, examination and appropriate testing. A sign being present does not by itself prove a diagnosis, and an absent sign does not rule one out. If you have symptoms that worry you, see a health professional.