List of medical triads, tetrads, and pentads

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A medical triad is a group of three signs or symptoms, the result of injury to three organs, which characterise a specific medical condition. The appearance of all three signs conjoined together in another patient, points to that the patient has the same medical condition, or diagnosis. A medical tetrad is a group of four, while a pentad is a group of five.

Contents

Triads

NameTriadDisease
Abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture triadHypotension, pulsatile abdominal mass, flank pain Abdominal aortic aneurysm
Achalasia triadIncreased lower esophageal sphincter (LES) tone, decreased LES relaxation, aperistalsis Achalasia
Allergic triadEczema (atopic dermatitis), allergic rhinitis, bronchitisAtopy
Alkaptonuria triadOchronotic arthritis, ochronotic pigmentation, urine darkens on standing Alkaptonuria
Amyand's triadAmyand's hernia, appendicitis, undescended testis
Anderson triadSubcutaneous emphysema, rapid respirations, abdominal rigidity Esophageal rupture (likely intra-abdominal)
Austrian syndrome triad Pneumonia, endocarditis, meningitis (all caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae ) Austrian syndrome
Beck's triad Muffled heart sound, distended neck veins, hypotension Cardiac tamponade
Bezold-Jarisch reflex (BJR)Apnea, bradycardia, and hypotensionSinus bradycardia
Budd–Chiari syndrome Abdominal pain, ascites, hepatomegaly Budd–Chiari syndrome
Charcot's cholangitis triad Right upper quadrant pain, fever, jaundice Ascending cholangitis
Charcot's neurologic triad Scanning speech, intention tremor, nystagmus Multiple sclerosis
Triad of congenital toxoplasmosis Chorioretinitis, hydrocephalus, intracranial calcifications Congenital toxoplasmosis
Triad of congenital rubellaCataracts, patent ductus arteriosus, sensorineural hearing loss Congenital rubella
Congestive heart failure triadTachycardia, tachypnea, tender hepatomegaly Congestive heart failure
Cushing's triad Bradycardia, bradypnea, hypertensionIncreased Intracranial Pressure
Danny's triad Painful urination, testicular pain, diarrheaChlamydia
Dieulafoy's triad Hyperesthesia of the skin, exquisite tenderness and guarding over McBurney's point Acute appendicitis
Dietl's crisisRenal colic, swelling in loin which disappears after urinationHydronephrosis
Fanconi syndrome triadAminoaciduria, proteinuria, phosphaturia Fanconi syndrome
Female athlete triadEating disorders, amenorrhoea, decreased bone mineral density Relative energy deficiency in sport
Felty triadRheumatoid arthritis, neutropenia, splenomegaly Rheumatoid arthritis complication
Goodpasture syndrome triadGlomerulonephritis, pulmonary hemorrhage, presence of anti-GBM antibodies Goodpasture syndrome
Gradenigos triadSixth cranial nerve palsy, persistent ear discharge, deep seated retro orbital pain Gradenigo's syndrome
Graves Disease triad Goiter, exophthalmos, pretibial myxedema Graves' disease
Halban triadDelay in a normal period followed by spotting, unilateral pelvic pain, and a small, tender, adnexal massCorpus luteum cyst
Triad of opioid overdoseRespiratory depression, pinpoint pupils, CNS depression Opioid overdose
Triad of granulomatosis with polyangiitisFocal necrotizing vasculitis, necrotizing granulomas in the lung and upper airway, necrotizing glomerulonephritis Granulomatosis with polyangiitis
Hakim triad [1] (Adams triad)Urinary incontinence, gait disturbance, dementia Normal pressure hydrocephalus
Quincke's Triad [2] (Triad of Sandblom) Melena, obstructive jaundice, biliary colic Hemobilia
Triad of Meigs' syndromeAscites, pleural effusion, benign ovarian tumor Meigs' syndrome
Hemolytic–uremic syndrome triadAnemia, thrombocytopenia, kidney failure (but see pentad of TTP below) Hemolytic–uremic syndrome
Horner's syndrome triad Ptosis (eyelid), miosis, anhydrosis Horner's syndrome
Hutchinson's triad Hutchison's teeth, interstitial keratitis, nerve deafness Congenital syphilis
Kartagener syndrome triadBronchiectasis, recurrent sinusitis, situs inversus Kartagener syndrome
Leriche's syndrome triadBilateral hip, thigh, and buttock claudication, impotence, symmetric atrophy of the bilateral lower extremities due to chronic ischemia Leriche's syndrome
Mackler's triadVomiting, pain, subcutaneous emphysema Boerhaave syndrome
Three C's of measles Cough, coryza, conjunctivitis Measles
Meltzer's triad Purpura, arthralgias, weakness/myalgias Cryoglobulinemia
Triad of reactive arthritis Urethritis, conjunctivitis and anterior uveitis, arthritis Reactive arthritis
Saint's triad Gallstones, diverticulosis, hiatus hernia
Samter's triad (also known as acetylsalicylic acid triad, Widal's triad[ citation needed ], Francis' triad[ citation needed ] or aspirin triad)Aspirin sensitivity, nasal polyps, asthma Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease
Tetany in children triadStridor, carpopedal spasm, convulsions Tetany
Trauma triad of death Coagulopathy, hypothermia, acidosis Death
Triad of albinismBlack locks, oculocutaneous albinism, sensorineural deafness Albinism
Triad of Alport syndromeSensorineural deafness, progressive kidney failure, ocular anomalies Alport syndrome
Triad of Behcet's syndromeRecurrent oral ulcers, genital ulcers, iridocyclitis Behçet's disease
Triad of causes of biotin deficiencyGlossitis, alopecia, dermatitis Biotin deficiency
Triad of Henoch–Schönlein purpura Palpable purpura on buttock/legs, arthralgias, abdominal pain IgA vasculitis
Triad of HypernephromaPain, hematuria, renal mass Hypernephroma
Triad of KwashiorkorGrowth retardation, mental changes, edema Kwashiorkor
Triad of Plummer–Vinson syndrome Iron deficiency anemia, dysphagia, esophageal webs Plummer–Vinson syndrome
Triad of Renal cell carcinoma Hematuria, palpable abdominal mass, flank pain Renal cell carcinoma
Triple testEstimation of hCG, estriol, AFPFetal chromosomal abnormalities
Trotter's triad Conductive deafness, immobility of homolateral soft palate, trigeminal neuralgia Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Unhappy triad (Also known as O'Donoghue's triad or a blown knee)Injury to the ACL, MCL, and meniscus (either medial or lateral)Knee injury
Virchow's triad Stasis, hypercoagulability, vessel injury Venous thrombosis
Triad of Wernicke encephalopathy Confusion, ophthalmoplegia, ataxia Wernicke encephalopathy
Whipple's triad Hypoglycaemia during attacks, resolution of symptoms upon correction of blood glucose, symptoms brought about by low glucose states. Insulinoma
Triad of aortic stenosisChest pain, heart failure, syncope Aortic stenosis
Murphy's triad Pain, vomiting, fever Acute appendicitis
Tillaux's triadSoft fluctuant swelling in umbilical region, swelling moves perpendicular to mesentery, zone of resonance all around swelling Mesenteric cyst
Rigler's triad Small bowel obstruction, a gallstone outside the gallbladder, air in the bile ducts Gallstone ileus
Wilkie's syndrome (SMA syndrome)Chronic peptic ulcer, chronic appendicitis, chronic calcular cholecystitis gastro-vascular disorder

Tetrads

NameTetradDisease
Tetralogy of Fallot Pulmonary stenosis, ventricular septal defect, right ventricular hypertrophy, overriding aorta Tetralogy of Fallot
Ménière's disease Vertigo, tinnitus, fluctuating low frequency hearing loss, aural fullnessMénière's disease
Zoonotic tetrad Scrub typhus, chiggers, rodents and birds, scrub vegetation

Pentads

NamePentadDisease
Pentad of TTPRemembered by the mnemonic "FAT RN" (or alternatively "ART FaN"): fever, anemia (microangiopathic hemolytic anemia), thrombocytopenia, renal failure, neurologic disturbances Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
Pentalogy of CantrellOmphalocele, anterior diaphragmatic hernia, sternal cleft, ectopia cordis, intracardiac defect Thoracoabdominal syndrome
Pentalogy of FallotFallot's tetralogy with a patent foramen ovale or atrial septum defect
Pentad of primary hyperparathyroidism Stones (kidney stones), bones (bone-related complications), thrones (polyuria), abdominal groans (gastro-intestinal symptoms), psychiatric overtones (psychiatric and neurological symptoms) Primary hyperparathyroidism
Reynold's pentadRight upper quadrant abdominal pain, fever, jaundice, shock, depression of central nervous system functionAcute suppurative cholangitis

See also

References

  1. Wallenstein, Matthew B.; McKhann, Guy M. (July 2010). "Salomón Hakim and the discovery of normal-pressure hydrocephalus". Neurosurgery. 67 (1): 155–159, discussion 159. doi:10.1227/01.neu.0000370058.12120.0e. ISSN   1524-4040. PMID   20568668.
  2. Rogers, Jeremy; Cadogan, Mike; Cadogan, Jeremy Rogers and Mike (2025-07-31). "Quincke's Triad". Life in the Fast Lane • LITFL. Retrieved 2025-09-03.