This document discusses various medical triads, tetrads, and pentads - groups of three, four, or five signs/symptoms that characterize specific medical conditions. It provides numerous examples of triads, including Charcot's neurologic triad for multiple sclerosis and the congestive heart failure triad. It also lists some examples of tetrads, such as Meniere's disease, and pentads, including the pentad of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. The document is a reference for healthcare professionals to help identify conditions based on their characteristic groupings of signs and symptoms.

1. MOHAMED H. KHARASH 1
AMOUD UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCE
SCOOL OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY
MEDICAL TRAIDS, TETRADS AND PENTADS
CONTANETS:
1. Triads
2. Tetrads
3. Pentads
TAYO READING GROUP
Mukhtar Farah Osman
Asma Hassan Abdillahi
Arafad Suleiman Jama
Nasrudiin Farah Kibar
Mustafe Aden Abdillahi
Mohamud Omar Ibrahim
Mohamed Hassan Nuur
PREPARED BY: MOHAMED H. KHARASH
2019-2020
Issue Date: Tuesday 24/3/2020

2. MOHAMED H. KHARASH 2
A medical triad is a group of three signs or symptoms, the result of injury to three
organs, which characterize 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.
1. TRIADS:
TRIAD SYMOTOMS DISEASE
Charcot's neurologic
triad
 Scanning speech,
 Intention tremor,
 Nystagmus
Multiple sclerosis
Triad of congenital
toxoplasmosis
 Chorioretinitis,
 Hydrocephalus,
 Intracranial calcifications
Congenital
toxoplasmosis
Triad of congenital
rubella
 Cataracts,
 Patent ductus arteriosus,
 Sensorineural hearing loss
Congenital rubella
Congestive Heart
Failure Triad
 Tachycardia,
 Tachypnea,
 Tender hepatomegaly
Congestive heart
failure
Cushing's triad of
Increased
Intracranial Pressure
 Bradycardia,
 Bradypnea,
 Hypertension
Head injuries
Dieulafoy's triad  Hyperesthesia of the skin,
 Exquisite tenderness
 Guarding over McBurney's
point
Acute appendicitis

3. MOHAMED H. KHARASH 3
Fanconi syndrome
triad
 Aminoaciduria,
 Proteinuria,
Fanconi syndrome
Abdominal aortic
aneurysm rupture Triad
 Hypotension,
 Pulsatile abdominal mass,
 Flank pain
Abdominal aortic
aneurysm
Achalasia Triad  Increased lower esophageal
sphincter (LES) tone,
 Decreased LES relaxation,
 Aperistalsis
Achalasia
Alkaptonuria Triad  Ochronotic arthritis,
 Ochronotic pigmentation,
 Urine darkens on standing
Alkaptonuria
Amyand's Triad  Amyand's hernia,
 Appendicitis,
 Undescended testis
Anderson Triad  Subcutaneous emphysema,
 rapid respirations,
 abdominal rigidity
Esophageal
rupture (likely
intra-abdominal)
Triad of Anderson syndrome
(not to be confused with the
Anderson triad of esophageal
rupture)
 Bronchiectasis,
 Cystic Fibrosis,
 Vitamin A deficiency
Anderson
syndrome
Austrian syndrome Triad  Pneumonia,
 Endocarditis,
 Meningitis (all caused
by Streptococcus pneumonia)
Austrian
syndrome
Beck's triad  Muffled heart sound,
 Distended neck veins,
 Hypotension
Cardiac
tamponade

4. MOHAMED H. KHARASH 4
 Phosphaturia
Female athlete triad  Eating disorders,
 Amenorrhoea,
 Decreased bone mineral
density
Gradenigos Triad  Sixth cranial n. Palsy,
 Persistent ear discharge,
 Deep seated retro orbital pain
Gradenigo's
syndrome
Graves Disease
Triad
 Goiter,
 Exophthalmos,
 pretibial myxedema
Graves' disease
Triad of opioid
overdose
 Respiratory depression,
 Pinpoint pupils,
 CNS depression
Opioid overdose
Triad of
granulomatosis with
polyangiitis
 Focalnecrotizing vasculitis,
 Necrotizing granulomas in the
lung and upper airway,
 Necrotizing
glomerulonephritis
Granulomatosis
with polyangiitis
Budd–Chiari syndrome Triad  Abdominal pain,
 Ascites,
 hepatomegaly
Budd–Chiari
syndrome
Borchard’s Triad  Acute epigastric pain
 Retching without vomiting
 Inability to pass NG
Charcot's cholangitis triad  Right Upper Quadrant Pain,
 Fever,
 Jaundice
Ascending
cholangitis

5. MOHAMED H. KHARASH 5
Hakim
Triad (Adams Triad)
 Urinary incontinence,
 Gait disturbance,
 Dementia
Normal pressure
hydrocephalus
Triad (Triad of
Sandblom)
 Malena,
 Obstructive jaundice,
 Biliary colic
Hemobilia
Triad of Meigs'
Syndrome
 Ascites,
 Pleural effusion,
 Benign ovarian tumor
Meigs' syndrome
Hemolytic–Uremic
Syndrome Triad
 Anaemia,
 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 Triad
 Triad of bronchiectasis,
 Recurrent sinusitis,
 Situs inversus,
Kartagener
syndrome
Leriche's
syndrome Triad
 Triad of bilateral hip, thigh,
and buttockclaudication,
 Impotence,
 Symmetric atrophy of the
bilateral lower extremities due
to chronic ischemia
Leriche's
syndrome

6. MOHAMED H. KHARASH 6
Mackler's triad  Vomiting,
 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
 Anterior uveitis, arthritis
Reactive arthritis
Saint's Triad  Gall stones,
 Diverticulosis,
 Hiatus hernia
Samter's triad (also
known as
Acetylsalicylic acid
triad or Widal's triad
or Francis' triad or
Aspirin triad)
 Aspirin sensitivity,
 Nasal polyps,
 Asthma
Aspirin
exacerbated
respiratory disease
Tetany in Children -
Triad
 Stridor,
 Carpopedalspasm,
 Convulsions
Tetany
Trauma triad of
death
 Coagulopathy,
 Hypothermia,
 Acidosis
Death

7. MOHAMED H. KHARASH 7
Triad of Albinism  Black locks,
 Occulo-cutaneous Albinism,
 Deafness of sensorineural type
Albinism
Triad of Alport
Syndrome
 Sensorineural deafness,
 Progressive kidney failure,
 Ocular anomalies
Alport syndrome
Triad of Behcet's
Syndrome
 Recurrent oral ulcers,
 Genital ulcers,
 Iridocyclitis
Behçet's disease
Triad of Causes of
Biotin Deficiency
 Glossitis,
 Alopecia,
 Dermatitis
Biotin deficiency
Triad of Henoch–
Schönlein purpura
 Palpable purpura on
buttock/legs,
 Arthralgias,
 Abdominal pain
IgA vasculitis
Triad of
Hypernephroma
 Pain,
 Hematuria,
 Renal mass
Hypernephroma
Triad of
Kwashiorkor
 Growth retardation,
 Mental changes,
 Edema
Kwashiorkor
Triad of Plummer–
Vinson syndrome
 Iron deficiency anemia,
 Dysphagia,
 Esophageal webs
Plummer–Vinson
syndrome

8. MOHAMED H. KHARASH 8
Triple Test (for
diagnosis of downs
syndrome)
 Estimation of hcg,
 Estriol,
 AFP
Down's Syndrome
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,
 Meniscus (either medial or lat
eral)
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
stenosis
 Chest pain,
 Heart failure,
 Syncope
Aortic stenosis
Murphy's triad  Pain->
 Vomiting ->
Acute appendicitis

9. MOHAMED H. KHARASH 9
 Fever
Tillaux's triad  Soft fluctuant swelling in
umbilical region,
 Swelling moves perpendicular
to messentery,
 Zone of resonance all around
swelling
Mesenteric cyst
Rigler's triad  small bowel obstruction,
 Gallstone outside the
gallbladder,
 Air in the bile ducts
Gallstone ileus
2. Tetrads
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 fullness
Ménière's
disease
3. Pentad
Triad Symptom Disease
Pentad of TTP Remembered by the mnemonic
"FAT RN";
 Fever,
Thrombotic
thrombocytopenic
purpura

10. MOHAMED H. KHARASH 10
 Anemia
(microangiopathic
hemolytic anemia),
 Thrombocytopenia,
 Kidney failure,
 Neurologic disturbances
Pentalogy of Cantrell  Omphalocele,
 Anterior diaphragmatic
hernia,
 Sternal cleft,
 Ectopia cordis,
 Intracardiac defect.
Thoracoabdominal
syndrome
Pentalogy of Fallot  Fallot's tetralogy with, in
addition,
 a patent foramen ovale or
 Atrial septal defect.
Pentad of Primary
hyperparathyroidism
 "Stones",
 "Bones",
 "Abdominal groans",
 "Thrones",
 "Psychiatric overtones"
Primary
hyperparathyroidism
Reynold's Pentad  Right Upper Quadrant
Abdominal pain,
 Fever,
 Jaundice,
 Shockand Depression of
central nervous system
function
acute suppurative
cholangitis