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Nikolsky's sign
System: Skin & Nail Signs · All skin & nail signs
What it is — and how it is elicited
Gentle sideways pressure or rubbing on skin that looks normal makes the top layer of skin slide off, leaving a moist red surface.
What a positive finding suggests
Associated with skin fragility in blistering diseases such as pemphigus vulgaris and toxic epidermal necrolysis.
◈ Behind the name
Pyotr Vasilyevich Nikolsky (1858–1940), Russian dermatologist.
Related signs — Skin & Nail Signs
Browse the N 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.