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.
Related signs — Skin & Nail Signs
Browse the A section of the A–Z list or return to the Clinical Signs hub.
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.