DIAGONAL EARLOBE CREASE: FRANK'S SIGN IN ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE
Abstract
The article emphasizes the necessity of meticulous physical examination of the patient in the modern clinical practice. Two clinical examples of diagonal earlobe crease, also known as Frank’s sign, are given. Both cases describe patients with ischemic heart disease, but age of patients and severity of Frank’s sign differ. The literature data about its frequency in different groups of population as well as the clinical significance and possible underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of Frank’s are shown.
The goal of any medical procedure is to achieve the best clinical result with the maximal possible improvement in the quality of life and life expectancy of the patient while minimizing the cost of evaluation. The basis of the approach is the meticulous physical examination of the patient . Most cardiovascular risk factors require specific laboratory investigations (i.e. lipid profile, glucose) and might not be highly available in low or middle-income countries, where access to health resources is sometimes limited. That is why the identification of simple clinical signs associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease cannot be overestimated. Thus appropriate integration of patient symptoms, demographics, clinical characteristics, and examination findings remains essential for the clinician to accurately determine the likelihood of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases to distinguish those patients who need further meticulous investigation.
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