BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuNikolsky signNikolsky sign is a skin finding in which the top layers of the skin slip away from the lower layers when rubbed. Considerations The sign is more common in newborn babies and in young children under 5 years of age. It often begins in the mouth and on neck, shoulder, arm pit, and genital area. A child may be lethargic, irritable, and feverish. They may develop red painful blisters on the skin, which break easily.Adults with disturbed kidney functions or with a weak immune system may have this sign. Your health care provider may use a pencil eraser or finger to test for Nikolsky sign. The skin is pulled to the side with a shearing pressure on the surface, or by rotating the eraser back and forth.If the test result is positive, the very thin top layer of skin will shear off, leaving skin pink and moist, and usually very tender.A positive result is usually a sign of a blistering skin condition. People with a positive sign have loose skin that slips free from the underlying layers when rubbed. Causes The Nikolsky sign can be often found in people with:Autoimmune blistering conditions such as pemphigus vulgaris Pemphigus vulgarisPemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune disorder of the skin. It involves blistering and sores (erosions) of the skin and mucous membranes....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Bacterial infections such as scalded skin syndrome Scalded skin syndromeScalded skin syndrome (SSS) is a skin infection caused by staphylococcus bacteria in which the skin becomes damaged and sheds.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Drug reactions such as erythema multiformeErythema multiformeErythema multiforme (EM) is an acute skin reaction that comes from an infection or another trigger. EM is a self-limiting disease. This means it us...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article When to Contact a Medical Professional Contact your provider if you or your child develops painful loosening, redness, and blistering of the skin, which you do not know the cause of (for example, a skin burn). What to Expect at Your Office Visit The conditions associated with Nikolsky sign can be serious. Some people need to be admitted to the hospital. You will be asked about your medical history and given a physical examination.Physical examinationDuring a physical examination, a health care provider checks your body to determine if you do or do not have a physical problem. A physical examinati...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment will depend on the cause of the condition.You may be given:Fluid and antibiotics through a vein (intravenously) IntravenouslyIntravenous means "within a vein. " Most often it refers to giving medicines or fluids through a needle or tube inserted into a vein. This allows th...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Petroleum jelly to decrease pain Local wound careHealing of the skin blisters occurs in about 1 to 2 weeks with no scarring.Open ReferencesReferencesFitzpatrick JE, High WA, Kyle WL. Blisters and vesicles. In: Fitzpatrick JE, High WA, Kyle WL, eds. Urgent Care Dermatology: Symptom-Based Diagnosis. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 11.Grayson W, Calonje E. Infectious diseases of the skin. In: Calonje E, Brenn T, Lazar AJ, Billings SD, eds. McKee's Pathology of the Skin. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 18.Levin LE, Garzon MC, Lauren CT, Morel KD. Dermatology. In: Polin RA, Ditmar MF, eds. Pediatric Secrets. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 4.Marco CA. Dermatologic presentations. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 107.AllVideoImagesTogNikolsky sign - illustration Nikolsky sign is a skin finding caused by a staphylococcal infection in which the superficial layers of skin slip free from the lower layers with a slight rubbing pressure. Large areas of the skin will blister and peel away leaving wet, red and painful areas.Nikolsky signillustrationNikolsky sign - illustration Nikolsky sign is a skin finding caused by a staphylococcal infection in which the superficial layers of skin slip free from the lower layers with a slight rubbing pressure. Large areas of the skin will blister and peel away leaving wet, red and painful areas.Nikolsky signillustrationRelated Information Scalded skin syndrome(Condition)Erythema multiforme(Condition)Pemphigus vulgaris(Condition) Review Date: 2/15/2024 Reviewed By: Elika Hoss, MD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Nikolsky signNikolsky sign is a skin finding in which the top layers of the skin slip away from the lower layers when rubbed. Considerations The sign is more common in newborn babies and in young children under 5 years of age. It often begins in the mouth and on neck, shoulder, arm pit, and genital area. A child may be lethargic, irritable, and feverish. They may develop red painful blisters on the skin, which break easily.Adults with disturbed kidney functions or with a weak immune system may have this sign. Your health care provider may use a pencil eraser or finger to test for Nikolsky sign. The skin is pulled to the side with a shearing pressure on the surface, or by rotating the eraser back and forth.If the test result is positive, the very thin top layer of skin will shear off, leaving skin pink and moist, and usually very tender.A positive result is usually a sign of a blistering skin condition. People with a positive sign have loose skin that slips free from the underlying layers when rubbed. Causes The Nikolsky sign can be often found in people with:Autoimmune blistering conditions such as pemphigus vulgaris Pemphigus vulgarisPemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune disorder of the skin. It involves blistering and sores (erosions) of the skin and mucous membranes....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Bacterial infections such as scalded skin syndrome Scalded skin syndromeScalded skin syndrome (SSS) is a skin infection caused by staphylococcus bacteria in which the skin becomes damaged and sheds.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Drug reactions such as erythema multiformeErythema multiformeErythema multiforme (EM) is an acute skin reaction that comes from an infection or another trigger. EM is a self-limiting disease. This means it us...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article When to Contact a Medical Professional Contact your provider if you or your child develops painful loosening, redness, and blistering of the skin, which you do not know the cause of (for example, a skin burn). What to Expect at Your Office Visit The conditions associated with Nikolsky sign can be serious. Some people need to be admitted to the hospital. You will be asked about your medical history and given a physical examination.Physical examinationDuring a physical examination, a health care provider checks your body to determine if you do or do not have a physical problem. A physical examinati...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment will depend on the cause of the condition.You may be given:Fluid and antibiotics through a vein (intravenously) IntravenouslyIntravenous means "within a vein. " Most often it refers to giving medicines or fluids through a needle or tube inserted into a vein. This allows th...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Petroleum jelly to decrease pain Local wound careHealing of the skin blisters occurs in about 1 to 2 weeks with no scarring.Open ReferencesReferencesFitzpatrick JE, High WA, Kyle WL. Blisters and vesicles. In: Fitzpatrick JE, High WA, Kyle WL, eds. Urgent Care Dermatology: Symptom-Based Diagnosis. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 11.Grayson W, Calonje E. Infectious diseases of the skin. In: Calonje E, Brenn T, Lazar AJ, Billings SD, eds. McKee's Pathology of the Skin. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 18.Levin LE, Garzon MC, Lauren CT, Morel KD. Dermatology. In: Polin RA, Ditmar MF, eds. Pediatric Secrets. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 4.Marco CA. Dermatologic presentations. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 107.
