The pathognomonic adjective, from the Greek παθογνωμονικόν, derived from πάθος (disease) and γνώμη (judgment, decision), is used in the medical or psychological diagnosis to qualify those clinical signs (manifestations testable by the specialist) or symptoms perceived subjectively by the patient and of those informs the specialist) that, if present, they assure that the subject suffers a certain disorder. Definition Classical pathology and differential diagnosis techniques also distinguish between "pathognomonic signs" and "characteristic signs" of a disease: Some of the latter may be missing, while the absence of a pathognomonic sign implies that it should be discarded the presence of the disease. In medicine
In the clinical diagnosis of medicine, the presence of pathognomonic clinical signs is a clear indicator that it is a syndrome or disease already described and known, for which it is known some treatment to follow or a form of approach . In psychology and psychiatry
In contrast to the medical model, in clinical psychology or in psychopathology it is controversial to assert the "patognomonic" character of a symptom.
Similarly, in psychiatry, pathognomonic signs are sparse or debatable. Thus, for example, a certain perceptive or cognitive-linguistic alteration can not be said to ensure the presence of schizophrenia. The alleged pathognomonic signs do not always fulfill their role in the differential diagnosis for the correct identification of the mental illness or disorder and the consequent choice and implementation of a therapy that would lead to the success of the treatment.
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