Rosenberg Sign

Rosenberg sign: studying diseases through changes in taste

The Rosenberg sign is a method for diagnosing infectious diseases, which was developed by the Soviet infectious disease specialist N.K. Rosenberg at the beginning of the 20th century. The essence of the method is that a change in taste in a patient may indicate the presence of a certain disease.

Rosenberg's idea of ​​the trait is based on the fact that infectious diseases can change the composition of saliva and taste buds. For example, with typhus, a patient may experience a metallic taste in the mouth, and with flu, a salty taste. Rosenberg developed a special set of flavoring substances that made it possible to determine the presence of a particular disease by changes in the patient’s taste sensations.

The Rosenberg sign method was widely used in Soviet medicine and was used to diagnose diseases such as typhus, cholera, typhoid fever, scarlet fever, etc. However, with the development of more accurate diagnostic methods (for example, blood and urine tests), the Rosenberg sign method lost its relevance.

However, the Rosenberg sign idea remains interesting and could be used in the future to develop new diagnostic methods. For example, recent studies have shown that changes in taste in patients with COVID-19 may indicate that they have a coronavirus infection.

Thus, the Rosenberg sign is an interesting and original method for diagnosing infectious diseases, which was developed more than a hundred years ago. Although it is not currently used in medical practice, its ideas may be useful for the development of new diagnostic methods.



Rosenberg's sign is a diagnostic sign that is used to determine the presence of acute appendicitis in patients suffering from abdominal pain.

It was discovered in 1911 by the German doctor Nikolai Karlovich Rosenberg, who first described this symptom in his article “Appendicitis and its symptoms.”

The Rosenberg sign is that when pressure is applied to the right iliac region (where the appendix is ​​located), the patient experiences pain that spreads to the right groin area and lower abdomen. This occurs due to the fact that during pressure on the iliac region, irritation of the nerve endings that innervate the appendix occurs.

To confirm the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, additional tests such as abdominal ultrasound, radiography or laparoscopy must be performed.

It is important to note that the Rosenberg sign is not the only diagnostic sign of acute appendicitis, and its absence does not exclude the diagnosis. Therefore, if you experience symptoms similar to acute appendicitis, you should immediately consult a doctor to conduct additional tests and make an accurate diagnosis.