<P> The Trousseau sign of latent tetany is also often used to detect early tetany . </P> <P> The sign is named after František Chvostek, an Austrian - born surgeon who lived in Moravia, in the Czech Republic . In his professional life, Chvostek devoted himself to the study of etiopathogenesis and to the treatment of neurological disorders, including by means of electrotherapy . In 1876, he first described the sign that bears his name . Later it was independently described by another Austrian physician, Nathan Weiss (1851--1883), in 1883 . </P> <P> It is obtained by striking with a finger or a hammer a point that is approximately 2 cm in front of the lobe of the ear and about 1 cm below the zygomatic process . Response occurs in the form of ipsilateral contraction of some or all of the muscles innervated by the facial nerve . The effect is the lateral deviation of the labial and nasal fold toward the stimulated side . </P> <P> Hitting a point between the middle third and upper third of the line joining the angle of the mouth to the zygomatic process gives rise to only a contraction of the muscles of the mouth and nose . </P>

Describe a positive chvostek sign and what abnormal lab result can we anticipate we will find