Which of the following is NOT a cardinal sign of inflammation?

• A. Redness
• B. Heat
• C. Swelling
• D. Itchiness

Answer: (D)

The defining signs of acute inflammation are redness, heat, swelling, and pain. These arise from vascular changes: vasodilation increases blood flow (redness and warmth), capillary leakage causes swelling, and the physical pressure from edema plus chemical mediators stimulates pain. Itchiness, while it can accompany allergic or irritated skin, is not one of the hallmark signs of the inflammatory response itself. Itching is a separate sensory symptom often related to histamine or other mediators acting on nerves, but it does not reflect the core vascular and cellular changes that constitute the cardinal signs. So, itching is the element that does not fit as a cardinal sign.