Triads - chart
Medical Triads
A quick-reference chart for students and professionals.
| Triad Name | Components & Associated Condition |
|---|---|
| Adams' Triad (Hakim's Triad) | 1. Urinary incontinence 2. Gait disturbance (magnetic gait) 3. Dementia / Cognitive impairment Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) |
| Alcock's Triad | 1. Urethral bleeding 2. Perineal hematoma 3. High-riding or non-palpable prostate Urethral Rupture |
| Anderson's Triad | 1. Upper extremity claudication 2. Vertebrobasilar insufficiency symptoms 3. >20 mmHg BP difference between arms Subclavian Steal Syndrome |
| Beck's Triad | 1. Hypotension 2. Jugular Venous Distension (JVD) 3. Muffled heart sounds Acute Cardiac Tamponade |
| Borchardt's Triad | 1. Severe epigastric pain 2. Retching without vomiting 3. Inability to pass an NG tube Gastric Volvulus |
| Carney's Triad | 1. Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) 2. Pulmonary chondroma 3. Extra-adrenal paraganglioma Carney's Triad (syndrome) |
| Charcot's Cholangitis Triad | 1. Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ) pain 2. Fever with chills 3. Jaundice Acute Ascending Cholangitis |
| Charcot's Neurological Triad | 1. Nystagmus 2. Intention tremor 3. Staccato or scanning speech Multiple Sclerosis (MS) |
| Cushing's Triad | 1. Bradycardia 2. Hypertension (widening pulse pressure) 3. Irregular respirations Increased Intracranial Pressure (ICP) |
| Female Athlete Triad | 1. Disordered eating 2. Amenorrhea 3. Osteoporosis Syndrome in female athletes |
| Gradenigo's Triad | 1. Sixth cranial nerve palsy 2. Persistent otorrhea 3. Deep facial/retro-orbital pain Gradenigo's Syndrome (Petrous Apicitis) |
| Graves' Disease Triad | 1. Goiter 2. Exophthalmos 3. Tachycardia or palpitations Graves' Disease (Hyperthyroidism) |
| Hutchinson's Triad | 1. Hutchinson's teeth 2. Interstitial keratitis 3. Eighth nerve deafness Congenital Syphilis |
| Kartagener's Triad | 1. Situs inversus 2. Chronic sinusitis 3. Bronchiectasis Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia |
| Leriche's Syndrome Triad | 1. Buttock/thigh claudication 2. Impotence 3. Absent femoral pulses Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease |
| Lofgren's Syndrome Triad | 1. Erythema nodosum 2. Bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy 3. Arthralgia or arthritis Acute Sarcoidosis |
| MacDonald Triad | 1. Enuresis (bedwetting) 2. Cruelty to animals 3. Pyromania Predictor of sociopathic behavior |
| Meckler's Triad | 1. Vomiting 2. Acute lower thoracic chest pain 3. Subcutaneous emphysema Boerhaave Syndrome |
| Murphy's Triad | 1. Pain (periumbilical -> RLQ) 2. Vomiting 3. Fever Acute Appendicitis |
| O'Donoghue's Triad (Unhappy Triad) | 1. ACL tear 2. MCL tear 3. Medial Meniscus tear Traumatic Knee Injury |
| Phemister's Triad | 1. Juxta-articular osteoporosis 2. Peripheral osseous erosions 3. Joint space narrowing Tuberculous Arthritis |
| Rigler's Triad | 1. Pneumobilia 2. Small bowel obstruction 3. Ectopic gallstone Gallstone Ileus |
| Saint's Triad | 1. Hiatus hernia 2. Cholelithiasis (gallstones) 3. Diverticulosis Association in older adults |
| Samter's Triad (AERD) | 1. Asthma 2. Nasal polyps 3. Aspirin/NSAID sensitivity Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease |
| Sandblom's Triad | 1. GI bleeding 2. Biliary colic/jaundice 3. RUQ pain Hemobilia |
| Trotter's Triad | 1. Unilateral conductive deafness 2. Trigeminal neuralgia 3. Ipsilateral soft palate immobility Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma |
| Virchow's Triad | 1. Stasis of blood flow 2. Endothelial injury 3. Hypercoagulability Thrombosis (e.g., DVT, PE) |
| Vogt's Triad | 1. Epilepsy 2. Intellectual disability 3. Adenoma sebaceum Tuberous Sclerosis |
| Whipple's Triad | 1. Symptoms of hypoglycemia 2. Low plasma glucose measured 3. Relief of symptoms with glucose Hypoglycemia (e.g., from Insulinoma) |
| Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) Triad | 1. Short PR interval 2. Delta wave 3. Wide QRS complex Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome |