# List of eponymous medical signs

Eponymous medical signs are those that are named after a person or persons, usually the physicians who first described them, but occasionally named after a famous patient. This list includes other eponymous entities of diagnostic significance; i.e. tests, reflexes, etc.
| 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 care | 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 | synd/1834 at Who Named It? | 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 | synd/233 at Who Named It? | agglutination test for erythrocyte survival |
| Auberger's blood group | Auberger (patient) | haematology | normal physiology | synd/283 at Who Named It? | Aua antigen |
| Auenbrugger's sign | Josef Leopold Auenbrugger | cardiology | pericardial effusion | synd/284 at Who Named It? | 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 | Kumar SP, Ramasubramanian D (December 2000). "The Babinski sign—a reappraisal". Neurol India. 48 (4): 314–8. PMID 11146592. Retrieved 13 April 2009. | 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 | synd/601 at Who Named It? | 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 | synd/595 at Who Named It? | 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 scapula |
| Bodansky 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 | Downs' 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 5/18/06 | blue 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 Medscape | widely 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 disease | Carlos Chagas | infectious disease, tropical medicine | heart failure | | Heart failure, enlarged esophagus, enlarged colon |
| Charcot's triad | Jean-Martin Charcot | surgery | ascending cholangitis | | jaundice, fever and chills, RUQ pain |
| Charcot's triad | Jean-Martin Charcot | neurology | multiple sclerosis | | nystagmus, intention tremor, staccato speech |
| Charcot–Leyden crystals | Jean-Martin Charcot, Ernst Viktor von Leyden | pathology | any disorder characterized by eosinophil proliferation, e.g. ascariasis | | lysophospholipase crystals in various tissues |
| Cheyne–Stokes respiration | John Cheyne, William Stokes | palliative care | respiratory center damage | | fluctuation between apnoea and tachypnoea |
| Churchill–Cope reflex | Edward Delos Churchill, Oliver Cope | cardiology | heart failure | | distension of pulmonary vascular bed causes tachypnoea |
| Chvostek sign | František Chvostek | endocrinology | hypocalcemia | | tapping over facial nerve elicits abnormal muscle contraction(s) |
| Claybrook sign | Edwin Claybrook | emergency medicine, surgery | blunt abdominal trauma | | heart and/or breath sounds heard through abdominal wall indicate rupture of viscus |
| Clutton's joints | Henry Hugh Clutton | paediatrics | congenital syphilis | | painless symmetrical hydrarthroses, particularly of the knees |
| Codman's triangle | Ernest Codman | oncology, orthopaedic surgery, radiology | osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma | | triangular subperiosteal growth |
| Comby sign | Jules Comby | paediatrics | rubeola | | whitish patches on gingiva and buccal mucosa |
| Comolli's sign | Antonio Comolli | Orthopaedic surgery | Scapular fracture | "Comolli's sign". The Free Dictionary. Retrieved 29 May 2013. | triangular swelling corresponding to the outline of the scapula |
| Coombs test | Robin Coombs | hematology | hemolytic anemia | | |
| Coons fluorescent antibody method | Albert Coons | immunology | | Albert Coons at National Academies Press | detection of antibodies by fluorescence microscopy using fluorescein-labelled antibodies |
| Cornell's sign | Ethel L. Cornell, American Neuropsychologist and Psychiatrist, Columbia University NY (1882–1972) | neurology | pyramidal tract lesions | The Babinski sign – a reappraisal Neurol India 48 (4): 314–8. | scratching alongside big toe extensor tendon elicits an extensor plantar response |
| Corrigan pulse | Dominic John Corrigan | cardiology | aortic insufficiency | | carotid pulsations with abrupt ascending and descending phases |
| Councilman body | William Thomas Councilman | infectious disease | yellow fever, viral haemorrhagic fevers | | eosinophilic globules in liver |
| Courvoisier's law | Ludwig Georg Courvoisier | gastroenterology | obstructive jaundice | | palpable gall bladder w/ painless jaundice unlikely to be cholelithiasis |
| Crichton-Browne sign | Sir James Crichton-Browne | neuropsychiatry | 'general paresis' | | tremor at corners of mouth and of outer canthus |
| Crowe sign | Frank W. Crowe | dermatology | neurofibromatosis type I | | axillary freckling |
| Cruveilhier–Baumgarten bruit | Jean Cruveilhier, Paul Clemens von Baumgarten | hepatology | Cruveilhier–Baumgarten disease | | bruit around the umbilicus |
| Cullen's sign | Thomas S. Cullen | surgery, obstetrics | intra-abdominal haemorrhage, ectopic pregnancy | | ecchymosis around umbilicus predicts onset of acute pancreatitis |
| Curschmann spirals | Heinrich Curschmann | pulmonology | asthma | | spiral mucus plugs found in sputum |
| Cushing's triad | Harvey Cushing | neurology | raised intracranial pressure | | elevated systolic bp, bradycardia, irregular respiration |
| Dagher Maneuver | Nabil Dagher | trauma surgery | penetrating pelvic trauma | | bimanual palpation of foreign object lodged in pelvis with one digit in an incision lateral to the anus and the other digit inserted in the rectum |
| Dahlén–Fuchs nodules | Johan Dahlén, Ernst Fuchs | ophthalmology | sympathetic ophthalmia | granulocytic infiltrate of the uvea | |
| Dahl's sign | K.V. Dahl | pulmonology | COPD | | pigmented calluses on anterior surface of thighs (from leaning on elbows) |
| Dalrymple sign | John Dalrymple | ophthalmology, endocrinology | thyrotoxicosis | synd/494 at Who Named It? | widened palpebral opening |
| Dance's sign | Jean Baptiste Hippolyte Dance | (paediatric)surgery | ileo-cecal intussusception | synd/3355 at Who Named It? | empty RLQ (retracted right iliac fossa) |
| Darier's sign | Ferdinand-Jean Darier | allergy, dermatology | urticaria pigmentosa | | dermatographia |
| Dawson's fingers | James Walker Dawson | neurology | multiple sclerosis | | characteristic fingerlike appearance of lateral ventricle on mri, ct, or at autopsy |
| De Musset's sign | Alfred de Musset | cardiology | aortic insufficiency | | head nodding in time with heartbeat |
| Dennie–Morgan fold | Charles Clayton Dennie DB Morgan | dermatology | atopic dermatitis | Dennie's line at TheFreeDictionary.com | accentuated fold below the lower eyelid |
| Destot's sign | Etienne Destot | orthopaedic surgery | pelvic fracture | | ecchymosis superior to inguinal ligament, in scrotum or of thigh |
| Dix–Hallpike test | Margaret R. Dix, Charles Skinner Hallpike | otolaryngology | Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo | synd/3615 at Who Named It? | Elicitation of extreme vertigo upon lateral movement of a patient's head when lying in a supine position |
| Döhle bodies | Karl Gottfried Paul Döhle | pathology | various including trauma and neoplasm | | basophilic inclusions in peripheral cytoplasm of neutrophils |
| Doi's sign | Hitoka Doi | neurology | Eaton–Lambert syndrome | | reappearance of absent deep tendon reflexes after short period of maximal muscle contraction |
| Dunphy's sign | Osborne Joby Dunphy | surgery | appendicitis | | increase in abdominal pain on coughing |
| Duroziez's sign | Paul Louis Duroziez | cardiology | aortic insufficiency | | double bruit heard over femoral artery when it is compressed distally (see Traube's sign) |
| Elschnig spots | Anton Elschnig | ophthalmology | hypertensive retinopathy | | |
| Epstein's pearls | Alois Epstein | paediatrics | normal newborn | | cystic papules on palate |
| Ewart's sign | William Ewart | cardiology | pericardial effusion | | percussive dullness, aegophony and bronchial breath sounds at L scapular tip |
| Faget sign | Jean-Charles Faget | infectious disease | yellow fever Typhoid Fever tularaemia brucellosis others | Faget's sign at Who Named It? | the unusual constellation of fever and bradycardia |
| Finkelstein's test | Harry Finkelstein | rheumatology | DeQuervain's tenosynovitis | | |
| Forchheimer spots | Frederick Forchheimer | paediatrics | rubella | | small red spots on the soft palate |
| Fothergill's sign | John Fothergill | surgery | rectus sheath hematoma | | anterior abdominal mass which does not cross the midline and is still palpable when abdominal wall muscles are tensed |
| Fox's sign | George Henry Fox | gastroenterology | haemorrhagic pancreatitis | | ecchymosis of inguinal ligament (blood tracks retroperitoneally) |
| Frank's sign | Sanders T. Frank | cardiology | ischaemic heart disease | | ear crease indicating risk of heart disease (disputed) |
| Friedreich's sign | Nikolaus Friedreich | cardiology | constrictive pericarditis, tricuspid insufficiency | | collapse of distended neck veins in diastole |
| Froment's sign | Jules Froment | neurology | ulnar nerve palsy | | patient required to hold paper between thumb and palm (against attempt to withdraw);ability to do so is assessed |
| Gallavardin phenomenon | Louis Gallavardin | cardiology | aortic stenosis | | dissociation of musical and noisy elements in ejection murmur |
| Gamna–Favre bodies | Carlos Gamna, Maurice Favre | histology | lymphogranuloma venereum | Gamna-Favre bodies at Who Named It? | basophilic cytoplasmic inclusion bodies |
| Gandy–Gamna nodules | Charles Gandy, Carlos Gamna | histology | splenomegaly due to portal hypertension and sickle cell disease | Gandy-Gamna bodies at Who Named It? | small yellow-brown foci in the spleen |
| Garrod's pads | Archibald Garrod | dermatology | repeated extreme tension of extensor tendon in interphalangeal joint | | thickening of skin and tissue over interphalangeal joint |
| Gerhardt's sign | Carl Jakob Adolf Christian Gerhardt | | | Gerhardt's sign at Who Named It? http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cgi-bin/omd?Biermer's+sign | controversial: see references |
| Glasgow Coma Scale | Glasgow | neurology | A neurological scale which aims to give a reliable and objective way of recording the conscious state of a person for initial as well as subsequent assessment. | | The sum of Eye, Motor and Verbal responses. |
| Goetz sign | Robert H. Goetz | Patent Ductus Arteriosus | Seen during right ventriculography in the setting of a patent ductus arteriosus, the Goetz sign refers to the negative contrast effect seen in the pulmonary artery from non-contrast enhanced blood shunting left to right from the aorta | | |
| Gonda's sign | Viktor Gonda, Ukrainian Neuropsychiatrist, (1889–1959) | neurology | pyramidal tract lesions | The Babinski sign – a reappraisal Neurol India 48 (4): 314–8. | flexing then suddenly releasing the 4th toe elicits an extensor plantar response |
| Goodell's sign | William Goodell | obstetrics | pregnancy | | softening of the vaginal part of the cervix during the first trimester |
| Goodsall's rule | David Henry Goodsall | gastroenterology, general surgery | anal fistula | | anatomical relationships, differentiation of fistula types |
| Gordon's sign | Alfred Gordon | neurology | pyramidal tract lesions | The Babinski sign – a reappraisal Neurol India 48 (4): 314–8. | squeezing the calf muscle elicits an extensor plantar response |
| Gottron's papules | Heinrich Adolf Gottron | rheumatology | dermatomyositis | Pathologic Basis of Disease (8th Ed), Robbins & Cotran | Scaling, erythematous eruption or dusky red patches over the knuckles, elbows and knees |
| Gowers' sign | William Richard Gowers | neurology | muscular dystrophy | | |
| Graham Steell murmur | Graham Steell | cardiology | mitral stenosis | | pulmonary regurgitation murmur in patients with pulmonary hypertension secondary to mitral stenosis |
| Grey Turner's sign | George Grey Turner | surgery | retroperitoneal hemorrhage | | flank ecchymosis |
| Griffith's sign | Alexander Hill Griffith, Scottish Ophthalmologist, Manchester (1858–1937) | endocrinology | Graves' ophthalmopathy | (needed) | lid lag of the lower eyelid on upward eye movement |
| Grisel's syndrome | Pierre Grisel | rheumatology | | | non-traumatic subluxation of the atlanto-axial joint caused by inflammation of the adjacent tissues |
| Gunn's sign | Robert Marcus Gunn | ophthalmology | hypertension | Gunn's sign at Who Named It? | AV "nicking" or "nipping" in hypertensive retinopathy |
| Hamman's sign | Louis Hamman | thoracic surgery | oesophageal perforation w/ pneumomediastinum | | crepitus in sync w/ heartbeat but not respiration |
| Hampton's hump | Aubrey Otis Hampton | pulmonology, radiology | pulmonary embolus with infarct | Hampton's hump at Who Named It? | wedge shaped consolidation at periphery with base on the pleura |
| Hampton's line | Aubrey Otis Hampton | radiology, gastroenterology | peptic ulcer | Hampton's line at Who Named It? | line on barium meal indicating mucosal oedema associated with ulcer |
| Hannington-Kiff sign | John G. Hannington-Kiff | general surgery | obturator hernia | | absent thigh adductor reflex with positive patellar reflex |
| Harrison's groove | Edward Harrison | internal medicine | rickets | Harrison's sulcus at Who Named It? | rib deformity at the lower thorax |
| Hatchcock's sign | ? | paediatrics, infectious disease | mumps | (needed) | tenderness behind angle of jaw (typically before swelling is evident) |
| Heberden's node | William Heberden | rheumatology | osteoarthritis | | same as bouchard's nodes, but over dip joints |
| Hegar's sign | Ernst Ludwig Alfred Hegar | obstetrics | normal pregnancy | | softening of cervical isthmus appearing between 4th and 6th weeks (usually) |
| Hess test | Alfred Fabian Hess | internal medicine | capillary fragility | Rumpel-Konchalevskii-Leede phenomenon or sign at Who Named It? | appearance of petechiae after compression of arm by bandage or blood pressure cuff |
| Hildreth's sign | DH Hildreth | dermatology | glomus tumor | | Relief of pain at tumor site upon vascular occlusion of limb, with acute return of pain on reperfusion |
| Hippocratic face | Hippocrates | palliative care | impending death | | |
| Hippocratic fingers | Hippocrates | pulmonary medicine | chronic hypoxia | | clubbing of distal phalanges |
| Hirschberg test | Julius Hirschberg | ophthalmology | strabismus | | corneal reflection centred (-) or not centred (+) on pupil |
| Hoffmann's sign | Johann Hoffmann | neurology | corticospinal tract lesions | | tapping distal phalanx of 3rd or 4th finger elicits flexion of same in thumb |
| Hollenhorst plaque | Robert Hollenhorst | ophthalmology | hypertension, coronary artery disease, and/or diabetes | | cholesterol embolus(i) of retinal artery(ies) |
| Homans' sign | John Homans | thrombosis | deep venous thrombosis | | knee bent, ankle abruptly dorsiflexed, popliteal pain |
| Hoover's sign (leg paresis) | Charles Franklin Hoover | neurology, psychiatry | lower extremity paresis | | differentiates organic from non-organic etiology |
| Hoover's sign (pulmonary) | Charles Franklin Hoover | pulmonology | COPD | | inward movement of lower ribs during inspiration |
| Howship–Romberg sign | John Howship, Moritz Heinrich Romberg | surgery | obturator hernia | Howship's syndrome at Who Named It? | pain from an obturator hernia radiating to knee |
| Hutchinson's freckle | Sir Jonathan Hutchinson | dermatology | melanoma | Hutchinson's freckle at Who Named It? | precancerous facial pigmentation |
| Hutchinson's pupil | Sir Jonathan Hutchinson | neurology | oculomotor nerve lesion | Hutchinson's pupil at Who Named It? | dilated pupil on the side of an intracranial lesion due to IIIrd nerve compression |
| Hutchinson's sign | Sir Jonathan Hutchinson | ophthalmology | herpes zoster | Hutchinson's sign 2 at Who Named It? | lesion on tip of the nose which can presage ocular herpes zoster |
| Hutchinson's teeth | Sir Jonathan Hutchinson | pediatrics | congenital syphilis | | small, widely spaced incisors with notched biting surfaces |
| Hutchinson's triad | Sir Jonathan Hutchinson | pediatrics | congenital syphilis | | interstitial keratitis, nerve deafness, Hutchinson's teeth |
| Janeway lesion | Theodore Caldwell Janeway | cardiology | infective endocarditis | | palmar or plantar erythematous or haemorrhagic papules |
| Jendrassik maneuver | Ernő Jendrassik | neurology | hyporeflexia | | compares patellar reflex w/ and w/o distraction |
| Jobe's relocation test | Christopher Jobe | orthopedics | | | |
| Joffroy's sign | Alexis Joffroy | endocrinology | exophthalmos in Graves disease | Joffroy's sign I at Who Named It? | lack of forehead wrinkling when patient looks up with head bowed |
| Jolly's test | Friedrich Jolly | neurology | myasthenia gravis or Eaton–Lambert syndrome | | electromyography test using repeated stimuli to show fatiguability in myasthenia |
| Jones criteria | T. Duckett Jones | rheumatology | rheumatic fever | | criteria used to diagnose rheumatic fever |
| Kanavel's sign | Allen B. Kanavel | orthopedics, rheumatology | tenosynovitis of flexor digitorum tendon | http://www.emedicine.com/orthoped/TOPIC97.HTM | (1) finger held in slight flexion, (2) fusiform swelling, (3) tenderness along the flexor tendon sheath, and (4) pain with passive extension of the digit. |
| Kayser–Fleischer ring | Bernhard Kayser, Bruno Fleischer | neurology, gastroenterology | Wilson's disease (hepatolenticular degeneration) | | ring of brownish copper deposit at corneo-scleral junction |
| Kehr's sign | Hans Kehr | trauma surgery | ruptured spleen | | referred pain to L shoulder |
| Kelly's sign | Howard Atwood Kelly | surgery, urology | | | visible response of ureter when touched (means of identifying same) |
| Kerley lines | Peter Kerley | radiology | pulmonary edema | | |
| Kernig's sign | Woldemar Kernig | neurology | meningism, meningitis, subarachnoid haemorrhage | synd/2200 at Who Named It? | hip and knee fully flexed, extension of knee elicits pain and/or opisthotonus |
| Kocher's sign | Emil Theodor Kocher | ophthalmology, endocrinology | Hyperthyroidism, Basedow's disease, | | In fixation on a fast upwards movement there occurs a convulsive retraction of the eyelid |
| Koebner's phenomenon | Heinrich Koebner | dermatology | various conditions | | |
| Koeppe's nodules | Leonhard Koeppe | ophthalmology | uveitis | | granulomatous nodules at pupillary margin |
| Koplik's spots | Henry Koplik | pediatrics | measles | | |
| Korotkoff sounds | Nikolai Korotkov | cardiology | auscultatory sphygmomanometry | | Korotkov described 5 sounds. Only the first (the onset of audible sound, and corresponding to systolic pressure) and the fifth (sound becomes inaudible, corresponding to diastolic pressure) are of practical clinical significance (however, see:Auscultatory gap) |
| Kussmaul breathing | Adolph Kussmaul | endocrinology | metabolic acidosis | | laboured deep breathing with normal or reduced frequency |
| Kussmaul's sign | Adolph Kussmaul | cardiology | various, including right side failure | | increased jugular distension on inspiration |
| Kveim test | Morten Ansgar Kveim | pulmonary medicine | sarcoidosis | | intradermal injection of lymphatic extract from known sufferer; obsolete |
| Lachman maneuver | John Lachman | orthopedic surgery | anterior cruciate ligament injury | | modified anterior drawer test with knee in less flexion |
| Ladin's sign | Louis Julius Ladin, Lithuanian-American Gynecologist, (1862–1951) | obstetrics | normal pregnancy | (needed) | softening of uterus; similar to Hegar's sign |
| Lancisi's sign | Giovanni Maria Lancisi | cardiology | tricuspid regurgitation | | giant v-wave in seen in jugular vein |
| Landau–Kleffner syndrome | William Landau, Frank Kleffner | neurology, psychiatry | aphasia | | aphasia and an abnormal EEG |
| Larrey's sign | Dominique Larrey | rheumatology | sacroiliitis | | pain in sacroiliac area on sitting down on hard chair |
| Lasègue's sign | Charles Lasègue | neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery | lumbar disc lesions, sciatica | | better known as straight leg raise test |
| Leopold's maneuver | Christian Gerhard Leopold | obstetrics | | Leopold's maneuver at Who Named It? | determination of fetal lie |
| Leser–Trélat sign | Edmund Leser, Ulysse Trélat | oncology | malignant neoplasm | Leser-Trélat sign at Who Named It? | sudden onset of multiple pruritic seborrheic keratoses |
| Levine's sign | Samuel A. Levine | cardiology | myocardial infarction | | patient clenches fist over chest when asked to describe pain |
| Lhermitte's sign | Jean Lhermitte | neurology | lesions of cervical cord dorsal columns or caudal medulla, MS, chemotherapy, Behçet's disease | | electrical sensation down the back and into limbs with neck flexion or extension |
| Liebermeister's rule | Carl von Liebermeister | internal medicine | | Liebermeister's rule at Who Named It? | For each fever degree Celsius an increase of 8 beats per minute in cardiac frequency |
| Lisch nodule | Karl Lisch | ophthalmology | type I neurofibromatosis | | yellow brown hamartomata on iris |
| Lisker's sign | ? | internal medicine | deep venous thrombosis | (needed) | tenderness on percussion of antero-medial tibia |
| Litten's sign | Moritz Litten | cardiology | infective endocarditis | eMedicine | cotton-wool exudate in the retina |
| Lombard effect | Étienne Lombard | psychiatry | malingering due to simulated deafness | | automatic rise in the loudness of a person's voice when they speak in noise |
| Louvel's sign | ? | internal medicine | deep venous thrombosis | (needed) | increased pain along vein with Valsalva; proximal pressure prevents this |
| Lowenberg's sign | Robert I. Lowenberg | vascular medicine | deep vein thrombosis | (needed) | immediate pain on inflating blood pressure cuff around calf |
| MacDonald triad | John M. MacDonald | psychiatry | sociopathic personality disorder | | enuresis, firesetting and animal torture predictive of future criminal behaviour |
| Macewen's sign | Sir William Macewen | neurology, neurosurgery | hydrocephalus, brain abscess | | resonance on percussion of fronto-temporo-parietal suture |
| Magnan's sign | Valentin Magnan | addiction medicine | cocaine dependence | Magnan's sign at Who Named It? | feeling of moving foreign body under the skin |
| Mantoux test | Charles Mantoux | infectious disease | tuberculosis | | intradermal protein derivative – diameter of wheal evaluated |
| Marcus Gunn pupil | Robert Marcus Gunn | ophthalmology, neurology | severe retinal disease, lesion of optic nerve anterior to chiasm | Gunn's pupillary phenomenon at Who Named It? | Relative pupil dilatation when light swings to the affected side |
| Markle's sign | George Bushar Markle IV | surgery | appendicitis | (needed) | RLQ pain on dropping from standing on toes to heels |
| Massouh's sign | Farouk Massouh | surgery | appendicitis | (needed) | grimace of the patient upon a right sided (and not left) sweep. |
| Mayne's sign | ? | cardiology | aortic insufficiency | (needed) | diastolic blood pressure drop of >15mmHg on raising arm |
| McBurney's point | Charles McBurney | surgery | appendicitis | | 2/3 of the way lateral on a line from umbilicus to anterior superior iliac spine (corresponds to junction of vermiform appendix and cecum) |
| McConnell's sign | M.V. McConnell | cardiology | pulmonary embolism | | echocardiography finding of akinesia of the mid-free wall of the right ventricle but normal motion of the apex |
| McMurray test | Thomas Porter McMurray | orthopaedics | meniscal tear | McMurray's sign at Who Named It? | knee extended, valgus stress applied, leg rotated produces palpable or audible click |
| Means–Lerman scratch | J. Lerman, J.H. Means | endocrinology | hyperthyroidism | | systolic heart murmur similar to pericardial rub |
| Mees' lines | R.A. Mees | toxicology | arsenic or heavy metal poisoning | | transverse white lines across the nails |
| Meigs' syndrome | Joe Vincent Meigs | gynecology | ascites with hydrothorax | Meigs' syndrome: the history of the eponym | Triad of ascites, hydrothorax and benign ovarian tumor |
| Mellinghoff's sign | Karl Hermann Mellinghoff, German Endocrinologist, (1908–1967) | hyperbaric medicine | cutaneous decompression sickness | | coughing or Valsalve accentuates the venous markings of an erysipeloid rash |
| Mentzer index | William C. Mentzer Jr. | hematology | microcytic anemia | | differentiates iron deficiency anaemia from beta thalassaemia |
| Miller Fisher test | C. Miller Fisher | neurology | normal pressure hydrocephalus | | Improvement in cognitive function after withdrawal of CSF during lumbar puncture used to confirm diagnosis |
| Moniz sign | António Egas Moniz | neurology | pyramidal tract lesions | The Babinski sign – a reappraisal Neurol India 48 (4): 314–8. | forceful plantar flexion of the ankle elicits an extensor plantar response |
| Möbius sign | Paul Julius Möbius | endocrinology | thyrotoxicosis | Möbius sign at TheFreeDictionary.com | inability to maintain convergence of eyes |
| Muehrcke's lines | Robert C. Muehrcke | nephrology, oncology | hypoalbuminaemia, chemotherapy | | paired transverse white lines on nail bed |
| Mulder's sign | Jacob D. Mulder | neurology, podiatry | Morton's neuroma | | transverse compression of the forefoot elicits pain in the distribution of the affected nerve |
| Müller's maneuver | Johannes Peter Müller | pulmonology | collapsed section of airway | | patient attempts to breathe in with nose and mouth closed (opposite of Valsalva maneuver) |
| Müller's sign | Friedrich von Müller | cardiology | aortic insufficiency | Müller's sign at Who Named It? | visible pulsation or bobbing of uvula |
| Murphy's punch sign | John B. Murphy | urology | perinephric abscess | Murphy's punch at Who Named It? | punch tenderness at the costovertebral angle |
| Murphy's sign | John B. Murphy | surgery | cholecystitis | Murphy's sign at Who Named It? | hesitation on inspiration while gall bladder is palpated |
| Myerson's sign | Abraham Myerson | neurology | Parkinson's disease | | inability to resist blinking when glabella is percussed |
| Naegele's rule | Franz Karl Naegele | gynecology | gestation | | method of estimating due date |
| Nardi test | George Nardi | gastroenterology | dysfunction of sphincter of Oddi | | administration of morphine and neostigmine reproduces sharp LUQ pain; not in general use |
| Nikolsky's sign | Pyotr Nikolsky | dermatology | various, including pemphigus vulgaris | | shearing of epidermis under pressure |
| O'Brien's test | ? | | | https://mskmedicine.com/clinical_skills/obriens-test/ | Assesses the integrity of the glenoid labrum and AC joint |
| O'Donoghue's triad | D. O'Donoghue | orthopaedics, sports medicine | knee injury | | coincidence of anterior cruciate injury, medial collateral injury and meniscal tear |
| Oliver's sign | William Silver Oliver | cardiology | aortic arch aneurysm | | caudal movement of trachea with systole |
| Oppenheim's sign | Hermann Oppenheim | neurology | pyramidal tract lesions | Oppenheim's reflex at Who Named It? | irritation downward of the medial tibia causes dorsiflexion of big toe |
| Ortolani test | Marino Ortolani | pediatrics & orthopedics | congenital hip dislocation | Ortolani's sign and test at Who Named It? | palpable clunk on moving hip |
| Osborn wave | John Jay Osborn | cardiology, emergency medicine | hypothermia | | positive deflection at QRS-ST junction |
| Osler's node | Sir William Osler | internal medicine | various, including SBE and SLE | | painful red lesions on the pads of the fingers and plantar surfaces |
| Osler's sign | Sir William Osler | internal medicine | atherosclerosis | | falsely elevated bp reading due to incompressibility of calcified vessels |
| Palla's sign | Antonio Palla | internal medicine | pulmonary embolism | Pulmonary embolism at Merck Manual online | enlarged right descending pulmonary artery on chest x-ray |
| Pastia's sign | Constantin Chessec Pastia | pediatrics | scarlet fever | Pastia's sign at Who Named It? | lines of confluent petechiae in skin creases (associated with Scarlatiniform rash and strep pyogenes) |
| Patrick's test | Hugh Talbot Patrick | rheumatology | sacroiliitis | Patrick's test at Who Named It? | external rotation of the hip causes pain |
| Peabody's sign | C.N. Peabody | internal medicine | deep vein thrombosis | | calf muscle spasm when raising the affected leg with the foot extended |
| Pemberton's sign | Hugh Pemberton | thoracic surgery | retrosternal mass with superior vena cava syndrome | | arms elevated over head elicits facial plethora, distended neck veins and inspiratory stridor |
| Phalen's maneuver | George S. Phalen | rheumatology, hand surgery | carpal tunnel syndrome | | 30–60 seconds of full forced flexion of wrist elicits symptoms |
| Piskaçek's sign | Ludwig Piskaçek | obstetrics | normal pregnancy | Piskaçek's sign at Who Named It? | palpable lateral bulge at tubal-uterine junction; present at 7–8 weeks |
| Plummer's nail | Henry Stanley Plummer | endocrinology | thyrotoxicosis | Plummer's nail at Who Named It? | onycholysis especially of ring and little fingers |
| Pratt's sign | Gerald H. Pratt | internal medicine | deep venous thrombosis | | pain elicited by compression of posterior calf |
| Prehn's sign | Douglas T. Prehn | urology | testicular torsion | | no pain relief with lifting the affected testicle suggests testicular torsion |
| Queckenstedt's maneuver | Hans Heinrich Georg Queckenstedt | neurology | spinal stenosis | Queckenstedt's phenomenon at Who Named It? | bilateral jugular vein pressure during lumbar puncture causes sudden rise in CSF pressure |
| Quincke's sign | Heinrich Irenaeus Quincke | cardiology | aortic insufficiency | Quincke's capillary pulse at Who Named It? | visible pulsation in ungual capillary bed |
| Reynolds' pentad | B.M. Reynolds | gastroenterology | ascending cholangitis | Reynold's pentad at Who Named It? | Charcot's triad + hypotension and altered mental state |
| Riesman's sign | David Riesman | endocrinology | thyrotoxicosis | | bruit over globe of the eye |
| Rigler's sign | Leo George Rigler | radiology, abdominal surgery | pneumoperitoneum | Rigler's sign at Who Named It? | gas outlines both mucosal and serosal surfaces of bowel |
| Rinne test | Heinrich Adolf Rinne | ENT, neurology, audiometry | hearing impairment | Rinne's test at Who Named It? | comparison of air conduction to bone conduction differentiates sensorineural from conductive deafness |
| Romaña's sign | Cecilio Romaña | tropical medicine | Chagas' disease | Romaña's sign at Who Named It? | painless unilateral periorbital swelling |
| Romberg test | Moritz Heinrich Romberg | neurology | dorsal column lesions, cerebllar lesions, alcohol intoxication | Romberg's sign at Who Named It? | inability to maintain posture with eyes closed |
| Rose's sign | ? | vascular medicine | deep vein thrombosis | (needed) | Warm, stiff feeling of skin when affected leg is pinched |
| Rosenbach's test | Ottomar Rosenbach | clinical chemistry | bilirubinuria | Rosenbach's test at Who Named It? | colour produced on addition of nitric acid |
| Rosenstein's sign | Paul Rosenstein | general surgery | appendicitis | Advances in Pediatrics. JP Medical Ltd. p. 1432. ISBN 978-93-5025-777-7. | tenderness in the right lower quadrant increases when the patient moves from the supine position to a recumbent posture on the left side |
| Rossolimo's sign | Grigory Ivanovich Rossolimo | neurology | pyramidal tract lesions | The Babinski sign – a reappraisal Neurol India 48 (4): 314–8. | percussion of the tips of the toes causes exaggerated flexion of the toes |
| Rotch sign | Thomas Morgan Rotch | cardiology | pericardial effusion | Rotch sign. (n.d.) Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing. (2012). Retrieved September 6, 2023 from https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Rotch+sign | percussion dullness in the fifth intercostal space on the right |
| Roth's spots | Moritz Roth | ophthalmology, internal medicine | various, including SBE and systemic vasculitides | Roth's spot at Who Named It? | retinal haemorrhages with pale centres seen at fundoscopy |
| Rovsing's sign | Niels Thorkild Rovsing | general surgery | appendicitis | Rovsing's sign at Who Named It? | palpation of LLQ elicits pain in RLQ |
| Rumpel–Leede sign | Theodor Rumpel, Carl Stockbridge Leede | haematology | capillary fragility | Rumpel-Leede test at Who Named It? | petechiae seen after compression by tourniquet |
| Russell's sign | Gerald Russell | psychiatry | bulimia nervosa | | scarring of the dorsum of one hand (contact with incisors when purging) |
| Salus's sign | Robert Salus | ophthalmology | hypertension | Hypertension at Medscape | deflection of retinal veins at right angle junctions due to elongation or shortening of connected arterioles |
| Schaeffer's sign | Max Schaeffer | neurology | pyramidal tract lesions | Schäffer's reflex at Who Named It? | squeezing the Achilles tendon elicits an extensor plantar response |
| Schamroth's window test | Leo Schamroth | pulmonology, cardiology | chronic hypoxia | | identifies clubbing of distal phalanges |
| Schiller's test | Walter Schiller | gynecology | cervical cancer | Schiller's test at Who Named It? | affected areas of cervix fail to stain brown with iodine solution |
| Schilling test | Robert F. Schilling | internal medicine | pernicious anaemia, coeliac disease, other malabsorption disorders | | B12 radioassay; rare |
| Schirmer's test | Otto Schirmer | ophthalmology | keratoconjunctivitis sicca, as in Sjögren's syndrome | | quantifies lacrimal secretion |
| Schober test | Paul Schober | physiatry, rheumatology, orthopaedics | various disorders of lumbar vertebrae | Schober's sign at Who Named It? | quantifies lumbar flexion |
| Sherren's triangle | James Sherren | surgery | appendicitis | Sherren's triangle at Who Named It? | area of hyperaesthesia over the right lower abdomen |
| Shone's complex | John D. Shone | cardiology | congenital heart defect | | supravalvular mitral ring, parachute deformity of mitral valve, subaortic stenosis and coarctation of the aorta |
| Siegrist streaks | August Siegrist | ophthalmology | malignant hypertension | | hyperpigmented streaks parallel to choroidal vessels |
| Simmonds' test | Franklin Adin Simmonds | orthopaedics | Achilles tendon rupture | | squeezing of calf fails to produce plantar flexion |
| Sims–Huhner test | Harry M. Sims, Max Huhner | reproductive medicine | infertility | Sims-Huhner test at Who Named It? | determination of sperm count and motility in a sample taken from the cervical canal within an hour of intercourse |
| Sister Mary Joseph nodule | Sister Mary Joseph Dempsey (born Julia Dempsey) | oncology | various abdominal malignancies | | palpable lymph node in the umbilicus |
| Spurling's test | Roy Glenwood Spurling | neurology | cervical radiculopathy | Spurling's manoeuvre and sign at Who Named It? | axial compression and rotation of cervical spine to the side of symptoms causes pain |
| Stellwag's sign | Karl Stellwag von Carion | endocrinology | thyrotoxicosis | | infrequent and/or incomplete blinking, accompanied by Dalrymple's sign |
| Still's murmur | Sir George Frederick Still | paediatric cardiology | subaortic stenosis, small Ventricular septal defect | Still's mmurmur at Who Named It? | systolic ejection sound ; vibratory/musical; best heard at left lower sternal border |
| Stransky's sign | ? | neurology | pyramidal tract lesions | The Babinski sign – a reappraisal Neurol India 48 (4): 314–18. | sudden abduction and release of little toe causes extensor plantar response |
| Stroop test | John Ridley Stroop | neuropsychology | various, including ADHD and schizophrenia | | reaction times for incongruent stimuli (e.g., word red printed in blue) |
| Strümpell's sign | Adolph Strümpell | neurology | spastic pareses of the lower extremity | Strümpell's sign I at Who Named It? | failure of abrupt passive flexion of the hip and/or knee to elicit dorsiflexion and adduction of foot |
| Ten Horn's sign | Carel Hendrik Leo Herman ten Horn | surgery | appendicitis | | pain in the right iliac fossa after traction of spermatic cord |
| Terry's nails | R. Terry | internal medicine | various including hepatic failure | | white 'ground glass' nails;absence of lunula |
| Terry Thomas sign | Terry-Thomas | Orthopaedics | Scapho-lunate dissociation | Atlas of Signs in Musculoskeletal Radiology | Gap between the scaphoid and lunate bones on AP wrist radiograph |
| Thomas test | Hugh Owen Thomas | Orthopaedics | Fixed flexion deformity of hip | | Supine patient flexes one hip whilst keeping other leg flat; back arches if flexion deformity is present |
| Throckmorton's reflex | Tom Bentley Throckmorton | neurology | pyramidal tract lesions | The Babinski sign – a reappraisal Neurol India 48 (4): 314–8. | pressure over dorsal big toe MTP joint elicits an extensor plantar response |
| Tinel's sign | Jules Tinel | neurology | neuritis, compression disorders | | 'DTP' – distal tingling on percussion |
| Todd's paresis | Robert Bentley Todd | neurology | seizure disorders | | focal weakness for as much as 48 hours after seizure |
| Traube's sign | Ludwig Traube | various | splenomegaly | | dull percussion sound over Traube's space |
| Trendelenburg's sign | Friedrich Trendelenburg | neurology | inferior gluteal palsy, other causes of hip abductors weakness | | pelvic tilt contralateral to 'stance leg' |
| Troisier's sign | Charles Emile Troisier | internal medicine, oncology | Various abdominal malignancies, especially stomach cancer | Troisier's node or sign at Who Named It? | Enlargement of the left supraclavicular lymph node (=Virchow's node) |
| Trousseau's sign of malignancy | Armand Trousseau | internal medicine | various malignancies, including pancreatic | | spontaneous thrombosis of multiple veins, including portal circulation |
| Trousseau's sign of latent tetany | Armand Trousseau | internal medicine, endocrinology | hypocalcaemia | Trendelenburg's phenomenon at Who Named It? | in hypocalcaemia, occlusion of brachial artery induces carpal spasm |
| Uhthoff's phenomenon | Wilhelm Uhthoff | neurology | multiple sclerosis | Uhthoff's symptom at Who Named It? | ↑ in neurological symptoms with exercise or other increase in body temperature |
| Unterberger test | Siegfried Unterberger | neurology, ENT | vestibular lesions | | patient walks in place with eyes closed;direction of rotation indicates vestibular lesion on that side |
| Virchow's node | Rudolf Virchow | internal medicine, oncology | Various abdominal malignancies, especially stomach cancer | Virchow's node at Who Named It? | Enlargement of the left supraclavicular lymph node (=Troisier's sign) |
| Virchow's triad | Rudolf Virchow | hematology | etiology of thrombosis | | Hypercoagulability, Hemodynamic changes (stasis, turbulence) and Endothelial injury/dysfunction |
| Von Braun-Fernwald's sign | Karl von Braun-Fernwald | obstetrics | pregnancy | | softening of the uterine fundus at the site of implantation at 4–5 weeks gestation |
| Von Graefe sign | Albrecht von Graefe | endocrinology | Graves' disease | | ' lid lag'; immobility of upper lid on downward gaze |
| Wada test | Juhn Atsushi Wada | neurology | epilepsy, anatomical lesions of cerebrum | Wada's test at Who Named It? | short acting barbiturate injected in internal carotid; lateralizes language function |
| Waddell's signs | G. Waddell | primary care, psychiatry | chronic pain | | identify non-organic sources of low back pain |
| Waddell's triad | J.P. Waddell | paediatric trauma | child pedestrian struck by motor vehicle | | Head trauma, thoracic and/or abdominal trauma, femoral fracture |
| Watson's water hammer pulse | Sir Thomas Watson, 1st Baronet | cardiology | aortic regurgitation | J. Suvarna Watson's water hammer pulse Journal of Postgraduate Medicine 2008-04-01 | bounding forceful pulse elicited with postural manoeuvres |
| Wellens' sign or warning | Hein Wellens | cardiology | severe stenosis of LAD | | characteristic ekg changes |
| Wernicke encephalopathy | Carl Wernicke | neurology, psychiatry | thiamine deficiency | | neurological symptoms caused by biochemical lesions of the central nervous system after exhaustion of B-vitamin reserves, in particular thiamine |
| Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome | Carl Wernicke, Sergei Korsakoff | neurology, psychiatry | Wernicke encephalopathy, Korsakoff syndrome | | combined presence of Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) and Korsakoff syndrome |
| Westermark sign | Nils Westermark | pulmonology | pulmonary embolism | | Area of oligaemia on chest x-ray |
| Whipple's triad | Allen Whipple | endocrinology | hypoglycemia | | 1.symptoms associated with hypoglycaemia 2. measured low serum glucose 3. relief of symptoms with administration of glucose p.o. or iv |
| Wickham's striae | Louis Frédéric Wickham | dermatology | lichen planus | | white or greyish lines on the lichen planus lesions |
| Widal test | Georges-Fernand Widal | microbiology | enteric fever | | serum agglutination; obsolete(?) |
| Winterbottom's sign | Thomas Masterman Winterbottom | tropical medicine | trypanosomiasis | | posterior cervical chain adenopathy |
| Wolff–Parkinson–White triad | Sir John Parkinson, Paul Dudley White, Louis Wolff | cardiology | supraventricular tachycardia | Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome at Who Named It? | pre-excitation on ECG |
| Wright's maneuver | ? | | | (needed) | |
| Yeoman's test | ? | rheumatology | sacroiliitis | (needed) | sacroiliac pain on rotation of ilium and extension of hip |
| Yergason's test | ? | orthopedic surgery | bicipital tendinitis | | anterior shoulder pain with resisted supination of the forearm |
Numerous additional signs can be found for Graves disease under Graves' ophthalmopathy.