Romberg-Howship sign

Clinical significance

• positive Romberg sign with:
  • cerebellar disorders
  • vestibular disorders
  • disorders of proprioception
    • vitamin B12 deficiency

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

More general terms

• sign/symptom