Review Of Related Diseases (RRD) 1 Practice Exam

What is Chvostek's sign?

A clinical sign where touching the cheek causes involuntary muscle contraction due to hypopolarization. A sign where tapping the jaw causes tremors due to fatigue. A sign where pinching the skin causes tensing the muscles. A sign where stroking the face reduces reflexes.

Correct Answer:

A clinical sign where touching the cheek causes involuntary muscle contraction due to hypopolarization.

Explanation:

Chvostek's sign shows increased neuromuscular excitability from hypocalcemia. When the clinician taps the facial nerve near the cheek, the facial muscles briefly twitch, especially around the mouth and eye. This response happens because low calcium lowers the threshold for nerve depolarization, making muscles contract more easily in response to a light stimulus. The description in the option—touching the cheek triggering involuntary facial contraction due to hypopolarization—captures this phenomenon, which is why it’s the best choice. Other described signs don’t involve tapping the facial nerve and producing a facial muscle twitch, so they don’t fit the characteristic response of Chvostek's sign.

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