Romberg-Howship sign

Procedure: - the patient is asked to stand, then close his/her eyes - ifthe patient sways back & forth or loses balance with his/her eyes closed, but not with them open, this signifies a positive Romberg test Interpretation: - a positive Romberg test or Romberg sign occurs with proprioceptive or vestibular defects - this is because maintenance of balance requires 2 of the 3 senses that normally maintain balance: vision, vestibular sense & proprioception - all 3 of these modalities feed into the cerebellum Clinical significance: - positive Romberg sign with: - cerebellar disorders - vestibular disorders - disorders of proprioception - vitamin B12 deficiency

References

Clinical Anatomy Made Ridiculously Simple. Stephen Goldberg, MedMaster Inc, Miami, 1995