Reynolds pentad

Reynolds pentad is a combination of clinical signs found in acute cholangitis. It consists of Charcot triad ^2-4:

1. fever and/or chills
2. RUQ pain
3. jaundice

as well as:

1. delirium or lethargy, and
2. shock

Usefulness

Sensitivity of Reynolds pentad from a large systematic review of nine studies was found to be 4.82%. Data was not felt to be of good enough quality to calculate its specificity ².

In general neither Charcot triad nor Reynolds pentad is thought to be particularly useful in the diagnosis of acute cholangitis ^1-3.

History and etymology

In 1959, Benedict M Reynolds (1925-2019), and Everett L Dargan (fl. 2022), American general surgeons working in New York City, published this pentad, in a small case series of four patients, all of whom had an obstructive cholangitis due to calculi ^4,5.