Signe de l'eventail

Signe de l'éventail is the fanning of the toes on eliciting Babinski’s plantar sign. In most instances, great toe extension is the most prominent component of the abnormal plantar response. Fanning of the smaller toes is typically less conspicuous if noticeable at all. In this case, the fanning was more prominent that the great toe extension.

Babinski first described great toe extension (phénomène des orteils or the dorsiflexion of the toes) in 1896. In 1903, he described abduction of the smaller toes, later labeled by others as the signe de l’éventail (the fanning).

References

Brau C, Brau RH. Babinski's signe de l'eventail: a turning point in the history of neurology. P R Health Sci J 2008;27:103-5.

Campbell WW. DeJong's the neurologic examination, 7th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2013.