Winterbottom's sign explained

Differential:	African trypanosomiasis

Winterbottom's sign is a swelling of lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy) along the posterior cervical lymph node chain, associated with the early phase of African trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness), a disease caused by the parasites Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and Trypanosoma brucei gambiense. It may be suggestive of cerebral infection.^[1] Winterbottom reported about the slave traders who, apparently aware of the ominous sign of swollen cervical lymph glands, used to palpate the necks of the slaves before buying them.^{[2] [3] [4]}

The sign was first reported by the English physician Thomas Masterman Winterbottom in 1803.

References

1. Ormerod WE . Hypothesis: the significance of Winterbottom's sign . J Trop Med Hyg . 94 . 5 . 338–40 . October 1991 . 1942213 .
2. Web site: The history of sleeping sickness. https://web.archive.org/web/20080323231305/http://www.who.int/trypanosomiasis_african/country/history/en/index4.html. dead. March 23, 2008.
3. Web site: The Winterbottom Catalogue. Tom. Miles. www.bl.uk. 2009-03-16. 2019-03-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20190318130141/http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/acrossuk/worknat/full/Projects/winterbottom/index.html. dead.
4. Cox F. History of sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis). Infectious Disease Clinics of North America - Volume 18, Issue 2 (June 2004)

External links

• CDC website on trypanosomiasis