Eponymous medical signs are those that are named after a person or persons, usually the physicians who first described them, but occasionally a famous patient. This list includes other eponymous entities of diagnostic significance, such as tests and reflexes.
Sign Name Specialty Associated conditions External link(if no internal link) Descriptor Aaron's sign Charles Dettie Aaron surgery appendicitis epigastric pain with pressure on McBurney's point Abadie's sign Jean Marie Charles Abadie endocrinology Graves' disease levator palpebrae superioris spasm Abadie's symptom Joseph Louis Irenée Jean Abadie neurology tabes dorsalis absence of pain on Achilles tendon pressure Abderhalden reaction Emil Abderhalden obstetrics pregnancy serum reaction;obsolete Abelin reaction Isaak Abelin infectious disease syphilis presence of arsenical anti-syphilitic;obsolete Addis count Thomas Addis nephrology pyelonephritis quantitative cells and casts in 24hr. urine Adie pupil William John Adie neurology ciliary nerve damage dilated pupil, poorly reactive but with normal near accommodation Adson's sign Alfred Washington Adson vascular surgery thoracic outlet syndrome obliteration of radial pulse with manoeuvres Alexander's law Gustav Alexander neurology, neurosurgery, ENT vestibular lesions describes nystagmus in vestibular lesions Allen's test Edgar Van Nuys Allen vascular surgery, critical careif the palmar arch is not present, radial artery stick for blood gases is contraindicated arterial supply of the hand tests for presence of palmar ulnar-radial anastomosis (palmar arch) Apgar score Virginia Apgar obstetrics, pediatrics assess health of newborn Apley grind test Alan Graham Apley orthopaedic surgery meniscal lesions manoeuvres to elicit knee pain Argyll Robertson pupils Douglas Moray Cooper Lamb Argyll Robertson neurology neurosyphilis light-near dissociation Arneth count Josef Arneth haematology, nutrition folate deficiency lobulation of neutrophil nuclei Asboe-Hansen sign Gustav Asboe-Hansen dermatology bullae extension of a blister to adjacent unblistered skin when pressed Aschheim–Zondek test Selmar Aschheim, Bernhard Zondek obstetrics normal pregnancy oestral reaction in mouse injected with pregnant urine Aschoff body Karl Albert Ludwig Aschoff rheumatology, pathology rheumatic fever foci of interstitial inflammation in the myocardium and elsewhere Ashby technique Winifred Ashby haematology, pathology haemolysis agglutination test for erythrocyte survival Auberger's blood group Auberger (patient) haematology normal physiology Aua antigen Auenbrugger's sign Josef Leopold Auenbrugger cardiology pericardial effusion bulging epigastrium Auer rods John Auer hematology acute myeloid leukemia cytoplasmic inclusions in myeloblasts Auspitz's sign Heinrich Auspitz dermatology psoriasis pinpoint bleeding when scales are removed from psoriasis or warts Austin Flint murmur Austin Flint cardiology aortic insufficiency mid-diastolic rumble heard at apex Babinski sign Joseph Babinski neurology abnormal plantar reflex dorsiflexion of the hallux with fanning of the remaining phalanges upon soft stimulation of the lateral plantar surface of the foot Bainbridge reflex Francis Arthur Bainbridge cardiology normal physiology increase in heart rate with increase in circulating blood volume Balbiani rings Edouard-Gérard Balbiani genetics RNA transcription large chromosome puff indicating site of RNA transcription Ballance's sign Charles Alfred Ballance general surgery abdominal/splenic trauma percussive dullness left flank, LUQ, percussive resonance right flank Bancroft's sign Joseph Bancroft vascular medicine deep vein thrombosis pain on anterior, but not lateral, compression of calf Bárány test Robert Bárány ENT, neurology vertigo, vestibular dysfunction nystagmus elicited by hot or cold irrigation of ear canal Barlow's maneuver Thomas Geoffrey Barlow, English Pediatric Orthopedist, (1915–1975) paediatrics, orthopaedic surgery hip dysplasia dislocation on adduction of hip Bart hemoglobin Barts Hospital Obstetrics, pathology indicates a specific cause of death in some stillborns Loss of all four alpha-globin genes (total alpha-thalassemia) leads to severely anemic stillborn babies with small amounts of an abnormal hemoglobin composed of four gamma sub-units (Bart's Hemoglobin) Bastian–Bruns sign Henry Charlton Bastian, Ludwig Bruns neurology spinal cord transection loss of muscle tone and reflexes below lesion level Battle's sign William Henry Battle neurosurgery/traumatology basal skull fracture mastoid ecchymosis Beau's lines Joseph Honoré Simon Beau dermatology, internal medicine multiple, including trauma transverse ridges on nails Beck's triad Claude Schaeffer Beck cardiology cardiac tamponade hypotension, increased central venous pressure (JVP), distant heart sounds Becker's sign Otto Heinrich Enoch Becker ophthalmology, endocrinology thyrotoxicosis visible pulsation of retinal arteries Beevor's sign Charles Edward Beevor neurology, neurosurgery spinal trauma at T10 cephalad movement of navel on cervical flexion Bekhterev–Jacobsohn reflex Vladimir Bekhterev, Louis Jacobsohn-Lask neurology pyramidal tract lesions stroking dorsal radial skin, with forearm in supination, elicits wrist and finger flexion Bekhterev–Mendel reflex Vladimir Bekhterev, Kurt Mendel neurology pyramidal tract lesions toe flexion on percussion of dorsum of foot Bence Jones protein Henry Bence Jones hematology multiple myeloma Benedict solution Stanley Rossiter Benedict endocrinology diabetes mellitus reagent for presence of monosaccharides Berger wave (rhythm) Hans Berger neurology normal physiology electroencephalographic alpha wave Bezold–Jarisch reflex Albert von Bezold, Adolf Jarisch pharmacology, toxicology effect of certain alkaloids apnea, bradycardia, hypotension Bielschowsky's head tilt test Alfred Bielschowsky neurology, ophthalmology lesions of cranial nerve IV test for palsy of superior oblique muscle Bing's sign Paul Robert Bing neurology pyramidal tract lesions extension of the great toe on pricking the dorsum of the foot with a pin Biot's respiration Camille Biot neurology brain stem herniation quick shallow respirations followed by period of apnea Bitot's spots Pierre Bitôt ophthalmology vitamin A deficiency spots of keratin deposition in the conjunctiva Bjerrum scotoma Jannik Peterson Bjerrum ophthalmology glaucoma comet shaped visual field defect, extending temporally from the physiological blind spot Blumberg's sign Jacob Moritz Blumberg surgery peritonitis rebound tenderness Boas' point Ismar Isidor Boas gastroenterology gastric ulcer dermal hyperaesthesia just left of T12 Boas' sign Ismar Isidor Boas gastroenterology acute cholecystitis dermal hyperaesthesia at inferior angle of R scapulaBodansky unit Aaron Bodansky clinical chemistry unit of alkaline phosphatase concentration in blood Boston's sign Leonard N. Boston ophthalmology, endocrinology thyrotoxicosis spasmodic ptosis on downward gaze Bouchard's nodes Charles-Joseph Bouchard rheumatology osteoarthritis bony outgrowths on dorsa of proximal interphalangeal joints Bracht–Wachter bodies Erich Franz Eugen Bracht, Hermann Julius Gustav Wächter cardiology infective endocarditis yellow-white spots in the myocardium Branham's sign Henry Branham vascular surgery, nephrology chronic kidney disease, hemodialysis pressing on proximal portion of AV fistula results in bradycardia Braxton Hicks contraction John Braxton Hicks obstetrics normal pregnancy "false labour". sporadic contractions beginning as early as mid 1st trimester Brewer infarcts George Emerson Brewer nephrology, pathology pyelonephritis dark red wedge shaped areas on kidney section resembling infarcts Brissaud's reflex Édouard Brissaud neurology pyramidal tract lesions plantar stimulation elicits contraction of tensor fasciae latae Broadbent inverted sign Sir William Broadbent, 1st Baronet cardiology L atrial hypertrophy systole palpable in posterior chest wall Broadbent sign Walter Broadbent cardiology adhesive pericarditis recession of L inferior intercostal spaces Broca aphasia Paul Broca neurology, neuropsychology developmental or other pathology of various frontal cortical areas expressive aphasia Brodie–Trendelenburg percussion test Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, 1st Baronet, Friedrich Trendelenburg general medicine, surgery varicose veins superficial vein is percussed proximally; if impulse is felt over vein distally, valvular incompetence is present Budin's sign Pierre-Constant Budin surgery, obstetrics suppurative mastitis if breast milk flown into a sterile pad is mixed with pus (brown, yellow or bloody traces), mastitis may be present Brodie–Trendelenburg test Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, 1st Baronet, Friedrich Trendelenburg general medicine, surgery varicose veins identifies level of valvular incompetence Brudziński neck sign Józef Brudziński neurology meningitis neck flexion elicits hip and knee flexion Brudziński cheek sign Józef Brudziński neurology meningitis pressure beneath zygoma elicits flexion of forearm Brudziński symphyseal sign Józef Brudziński neurology meningitis pressure over symphisis pubis elicits knee, hip flexion and leg abduction Brudziński reflex Józef Brudziński neurology meningitis passive flexion of knee to abdomen elicits flexion of contralateral hip and knee Bruit de Roger Henri-Louis Roger paediatric cardiology ventricular septal defect loud pansystolic murmur Bruns ataxia Ludwig Bruns neurology frontal lobe lesions difficulty moving feet in contact with floor, tendency to fall backwards Bruns nystagmus Ludwig Bruns neurology cerebellopontine angle tumor, vestibular schwannoma nystagmus that coarsens in amplitude on lateral gaze Brushfield spots Thomas Brushfield ophthalmology, genetics Down syndrome or non-pathological greyish-white spots at periphery of iris Buerger's test Leo Buerger general medicine, surgery peripheral artery disease pallor of the leg upon elevation Burton line Henry Burton toxicology lead poisoning NEJM 354:e21 5/18/06blue discolouration of the gingival border Cabot rings Richard Cabot hematology lead poisoning, anaemias threadlike strands in erythrocytes Caput medusae Medusa gastroenterology, surgery portal hypertension distended veins radiating from umbilicus Cardarelli's sign Antonio Cardarelli cardiology, thoracic surgery aortic arch dilatation or aneurysm, mediastinal tumour left displacement of trachea elicits palpable pulsation of same Carey Coombs murmur Carey Coombs cardiology, rheumatology rheumatic fever mid-diastolic rumble Carnett's sign John Berton Carnett primary care, surgery abdominal mass and/or pain Am J Med Sci 174 (1927): 579–599 supine patient lifts head from bed;↑ pain – abdominal wall ;↓ pain – intraperitoneal Carvallo's sign José Manuel Rivero Carvallo cardiology tricuspid regurgitation increase in volume of murmur on inspiration Casal collar Gaspar Casal nutrition pellagra (niacin deficiency) Casal collar at Medscapewidely variable collar of dermatitis characteristically in c3,c4 dermatomes Casoni test Tomaso Casoni infectious disease, tropical medicine hydatid disease intradermal injection of hydatid fluid causing wheal Celsus signs of inflammation Aulus Cornelius Celsus various inflammation 1. Rubor (redness) 2. Tumor (swelling)3. Calor (heat) 4. Dolor (pain) Chaddock reflex Charles Gilbert Chaddock neurology pyramidal lesions, corticospinal tract lesions extension of big toe with stimulation of skin over lateral malleolus Chadwick sign James Read Chadwick obstetrics pregnancy cyanosis of vulva, vagina and cervix Chagas diseaseCarlos Chagasinfectious disease, tropical medicineheart failureHeart failure, enlarged esophagus, enlarged colonCharcot's triad Jean-Martin Charcot surgery ascending cholangitis jaundice, fever and chills, RUQ pain