| Macewen's Sign | |
|---|---|
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| Hydrocephalus in a three year old male patient on MRI. | |
| Differential diagnosis | Excess CSF |
Macewen's sign orMacewen sign (/məˈkjuːən/mə-KEW-ən) is a sign used to help to diagnosehydrocephalus[1] (accumulation of excesscerebrospinal fluid) and brainabscesses. Tapping (percussion) the skull near the junction of thefrontal,temporal, andparietal bones will produce cracked pot sound. Positive test is indication of separated sutures. This is due to raised intracranial tension.[citation needed]
The sign was discovered and described bySir William Macewen (1848–1924), a surgeon and professor of theUniversity of Glasgow,Scotland, who also describedMacewen's operation foringuinal hernia.[citation needed]
McEwan's sign in alcohol intoxication is different: Pupils are contracted, but on external painful stimulation of the person (e.g. by pinching or slapping) causes pupil to dilate followed by slow constriction. It is suggestive of alcoholic coma.[2]
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