100+ Eponymously Named Medical Signs and Conditions

Throughout the annals of medical history, a myriad of diagnostic signs have emerged, each bearing the indelible mark of its originator. These medical heralds are not merely identifiers of conditions; they are the tangible result of the intellectual endeavors of individuals who, with unyielding curiosity, sought to unravel the mysteries of the human body. Such signs often carry the names of their progenitors, etching a narrative that intertwines the person, the symptoms, and the groundbreaking analysis that brought these indicators to the forefront of medical scrutiny. In this article, I am going to share a list of eponymously named medical signs and conditions and descriptors.

Symptomatic Genesis: A Testimony of Inventive Minds

In the vast tapestry of medical diagnostics, every sign carries the weight of its nomenclature, a homage to the visionary minds that birthed them. Consider the pulse-defining innovations of William Stokes or the auscultatory revelations bestowed upon us by René Laennec’s stethoscope. These pioneers did not merely stumble upon symptoms; rather, they meticulously dissected the intricacies of the physiological processes, leaving an enduring legacy in the form of medical signs that resonate through the corridors of time.

The Crucible of Discovery: Patients as Testaments

Behind every medical sign lies a patient, an unwitting participant in the genesis of diagnostic landmarks. These individuals, whose ailments became the canvas upon which the brushstrokes of medical innovation were painted, are integral to the narrative of diagnostic discovery. Whether it was the initial application of a diagnostic test or the observation of an unusual symptom, patients have unwittingly contributed to the ever-expanding lexicon of medical signs, forever linked to their experiences.

Analytical Alchemy: The Art and Science of Symptomatology

To unveil a medical sign is to embark on a journey of analytical alchemy, where the scientific method converges with the art of observation. These inventors were not mere diagnosticians; they were alchemists, transforming clinical observations into the gold of medical knowledge. The meticulous dissection of symptoms, the systematic exploration of bodily phenomena, and the discerning eye for anomalies collectively form the crucible in which medical signs are forged, each discovery a testament to the fusion of art and science.

The Tapestry of Nomenclature: A Linguistic Ode to Discovery

In the lexicon of medicine, nomenclature is more than a mere label; it is a linguistic tapestry that weaves together the threads of discovery. The eponymous nature of medical signs, bearing the names of their originators, adds a poetic layer to the language of diagnostics. From Romberg’s sign to Babinski’s reflex, each appellation encapsulates not just a symptom but a historical vignette, a narrative frozen in time that speaks to the ingenuity of those who first deciphered the enigma of the human body.

Echoes of Curiosity: Perpetuating the Legacy

As these medical signs echo through the halls of medical education and practice, they serve as perpetual reminders of the insatiable curiosity that propels scientific inquiry. The resonance of these diagnostic landmarks is not confined to their initial discovery; it reverberates in the minds of aspiring clinicians, urging them to question, observe, and, perhaps, contribute to the ever-evolving mosaic of medical knowledge. In this continuum of curiosity, the legacy of medical signs endures, inviting future generations to unravel the mysteries that still linger within the intricate fabric of human health. You may also like the list of 100 Theorems.

List of Eponymously Named Medical Signs and Conditions

These findings are great contributions to the medical sciences since these eponyms have opened up the scope for further research and subsequent development over time.

Letter	Sign	Name	Associated conditions	Descriptor
A	Aaron sign	Charles Dettie Aaron	appendicitis	epigastric pain with pressure on McBurney’s point
A	Abadie’s sign	Jean Marie Charles Abadie	Graves’ disease	levator palpebrae superioris spasm
A	Abadie’s symptom	Joseph Louis Irenée Jean Abadie	tabes dorsalis	absence of pain on Achilles tendon pressure
A	Abderhalden reaction	Emil Abderhalden	pregnancy	serum reaction;obsolete
A	Abelin reaction	Isaak Abelin	syphilis	presence of arsenical anti-syphilitic; obsolete
A	Addis count	Thomas Addis	pyelonephritis	quantitative cells and casts in 24hr. urine
A	Adie pupil	William John Adie	ciliary nerve damage	dilated pupil, poorly reactive but with normal near accommodation
A	Adson’s sign	Alfred Washington Adson	thoracic outlet syndrome	obliteration of radial pulse with maneuvers
A	Alexander’s law	Gustav Alexander	vestibular lesions	describes nystagmus in vestibular lesions
A	Allen’s test	Edgar Van Nuys Allen	arterial supply of the hand	tests for the presence of palmar ulnar-radial anastomosis (palmar arch)
A	Apgar score	Virginia Apgar		assess the health of newborn
A	Apley grind test	Alan Graham Apley	meniscal lesions	maneuvers to elicit knee pain
A	Argyll Robertson pupils	Douglas Moray Cooper Lamb Argyll Robertson	neurosyphilis^[2]	light-near dissociation
A	Arneth count	Josef Arneth	folate deficiency	lobulation of neutrophil nuclei
A	Asboe-Hansen sign	Gustav Asboe-Hansen	bullae	extension of a blister to adjacent unblistered skin when pressed
A	Aschheim–Zondek test	Selmar Aschheim, Bernhard Zondek	normal pregnancy	the oestral reaction in a mouse injected with pregnant urine
A	Aschoff body	Karl Albert Ludwig Aschoff	rheumatic fever	foci of interstitial inflammation in the myocardium and elsewhere
A	Ashby technique	Winifred Ashby	hemolysis	agglutination test for erythrocyte survival
A	Auberger’s blood group	Auberger (patient)	normal physiology	Aua antigen
A	Auenbrugger’s sign	Josef Leopold Auenbrugger	pericardial effusion	bulging epigastrium
A	Auer rods	John Auer	acute myeloid leukemia	cytoplasmic inclusions in myeloblasts
A	Auspitz’s sign	Heinrich Auspitz	psoriasis	pinpoint bleeding when scales are removed from psoriasis or warts
A	Austin Flint murmur	Austin Flint	aortic insufficiency	mid-diastolic rumble heard at the apex
B	Babinski sign	Joseph Babinski	abnormal plantar reflex	dorsiflexion of the hallux with fanning of the remaining phalanges upon soft stimulation of the lateral plantar surface of the foot
B	Bainbridge reflex	Francis Arthur Bainbridge	normal physiology	increase in heart rate with an increase in circulating blood volume
B	Balbiani rings	Edouard-Gérard Balbiani	RNA transcription	large chromosome puff indicating the site of RNA transcription
B	Ballance’s sign	Charles Alfred Ballance	abdominal/splenic trauma	percussive dullness left flank, LUQ, percussive resonance right flank
B	Bancroft’s sign	Joseph Bancroft	deep vein thrombosis	pain on anterior, but not lateral, compression of the calf
B	Bárány test	Robert Bárány	vertigo, vestibular dysfunction	nystagmus elicited by hot or cold irrigation of ear canal
B	Barlow’s maneuver	Thomas Geoffrey Barlow, English Pediatric Orthopedist, (1915–1975)	hip dysplasia	dislocation on adduction of the hip
B	Bart hemoglobin	Barts Hospital	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 abnormal hemoglobin composed of four gamma sub-units (Bart’s Hemoglobin)
B	Bastian–Bruns sign	Henry Charlton Bastian, Ludwig Bruns	spinal cord transection	loss of muscle tone and reflexes below the lesion level
B	Battle’s sign	William Henry Battle	basal skull fracture	mastoid ecchymosis
B	Beau’s lines	Joseph Honoré Simon Beau	multiple, including trauma	transverse ridges on nails
B	Beck’s triad	Claude Schaeffer Beck	cardiac tamponade	hypotension, increased central venous pressure (JVP), distant heart sounds
B	Becker’s sign	Otto Heinrich Enoch Becker	thyrotoxicosis	visible pulsation of retinal arteries
B	Beevor’s sign	Charles Edward Beevor	spinal trauma at T10, als, fsmd	caudal movement of navel on cervical flexion
B	Bekhterev–Jacobsohn reflex	Vladimir Bekhterev, Louis Jacobsohn-Lask	pyramidal tract lesions	stroking dorsal radial skin, with the forearm in supination, elicits wrist and finger flexion
B	Bekhterev–Mendel reflex	Vladimir Bekhterev, Kurt Mendel	pyramidal tract lesions	toe flexion on percussion of the dorsum of the foot
B	Bence Jones protein	Henry Bence Jones	multiple myeloma
B	Benedict solution	Stanley Rossiter Benedict	diabetes mellitus	reagent for the presence of monosaccharides
B	Berger wave (rhythm)	Hans Berger	normal physiology	electroencephalographic alpha wave
B	Bezold–Jarisch reflex	Albert von Bezold, Adolf Jarisch	effect of certain alkaloids	apnea, bradycardia, hypotension
B	Bielschowsky’s head tilt test	Alfred Bielschowsky	lesions of cranial nerve IV	test for palsy of superior oblique muscle
B	Bing’s sign	Paul Robert Bing	pyramidal tract lesions	extension of the great toe on pricking the dorsum of the foot with a pin
B	Biot’s respiration	Camille Biot	brain stem herniation	quick shallow respirations followed by a period of apnea
B	Bitot’s spots	Pierre Bitôt	vitamin A deficiency	spots of keratin deposition in the conjunctiva
B	Bjerrum scotoma	Jannik Peterson Bjerrum	glaucoma	comet-shaped visual field defect, extending temporally from the physiological blind spot
B	Blumberg sign	Jacob Moritz Blumberg	peritonitis	rebound tenderness
B	Boas’ point	Ismar Isidor Boas	gastric ulcer	dermal hyperaesthesia just left of T12
B	Boas’ sign	Ismar Isidor Boas	acute cholecystitis	dermal hyperaesthesia at the inferior angle of R scapula
B	Bodansky unit	Aaron Bodansky		unit of alkaline phosphatase concentration in the blood
B	Boston’s sign	Leonard N. Boston	thyrotoxicosis	spasmodic ptosis on downward gaze
B	Bouchard’s nodes	Charles-Joseph Bouchard	osteoarthritis	bony outgrowths on dorsa of proximal interphalangeal joints
B	Bracht–Wachter bodies	Erich Franz Eugen Bracht, Hermann Julius Gustav Wächter	infective endocarditis	yellow-white spots in the myocardium
B	Branham’s sign	Henry Branham		pressing on the proximal portion of the AV fistula results in bradycardia
B	Braxton Hicks contraction	John Braxton Hicks	normal pregnancy	“False labour”. sporadic contractions beginning as early as mid 1st trimester
B	Brewer infarcts	George Emerson Brewer	pyelonephritis	dark red wedge-shaped areas on kidney section resembling infarcts
B	Brissaud’s reflex	Édouard Brissaud	pyramidal tract lesions	plantar stimulation elicits contraction of tensor fasciae latae
B	Broadbent inverted sign	Sir William Broadbent, 1st Baronet	L atrial hypertrophy	systole palpable in the posterior chest wall
B	Broadbent sign	Walter Broadbent	adhesive pericarditis	the recession of L inferior intercostal spaces
B	Broca aphasia	Paul Broca	developmental or other pathology of various frontal cortical areas	expressive aphasia
B	Brodie–Trendelenburg percussion test	Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, 1st Baronet, Friedrich Trendelenburg	varicose veins	the superficial vein is percussed proximally; if the impulse is felt over vein distally, valvular incompetence is present
B	Budin’s sign	Pierre-Constant Budin	suppurative mastitis	if breast milk flown into a sterile pad is mixed with pus (brown, yellow, or bloody traces), mastitis may be present
B	Brodie–Trendelenburg test	Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, 1st Baronet, Friedrich Trendelenburg	varicose veins	identifies the level of valvular incompetence
B	Brudziński neck sign	Józef Brudziński	meningitis	neck flexion elicits hip and knee flexion
B	Brudziński cheek sign	Józef Brudziński	meningitis	pressure beneath zygoma elicits flexion of forearm
B	Brudziński symphyseal sign	Józef Brudziński	meningitis	pressure over symphisis pubis elicits knee, hip flexion, and leg abduction
B	Brudziński reflex	Józef Brudziński	meningitis	passive flexion of the knee to abdomen elicits flexion of contralateral hip and knee
B	Bruit de Roger	Henri-Louis Roger	ventricular septal defect	loud pansystolic murmur
B	Bruns ataxia	Ludwig Bruns	frontal lobe lesions	difficulty moving feet in contact with the floor, tendency to fall backward
B	Bruns nystagmus	Ludwig Bruns	cerebellopontine angle tumor, vestibular schwannoma	nystagmus that coarsens in amplitude on lateral gaze
B	Brushfield spots	Thomas Brushfield	Downs’ syndrome or non-pathological	greyish-white spots at the periphery of the iris
B	Buerger’s test	?	peripheral artery disease	the pallor of the leg upon elevation
B	Burton line	Henry Burton	lead poisoning	blue discoloration of the gingival border
C	Cabot rings	Richard Cabot	lead poisoning, anaemias	threadlike strands in erythrocytes
C	Caput medusae	Medusa	portal hypertension	distended veins radiating from the umbilicus
C	Cardarelli’s sign	Antonio Cardarelli	aortic arch dilatation or aneurysm, mediastinal tumour	left displacement of trachea elicits palpable pulsation of same
C	Carey Coombs murmur	Carey Coombs	rheumatic fever	mid-diastolic rumble
C	Carnett’s sign	John Berton Carnett	abdominal mass and/or pain	supine patient lifts head from bed;↑ pain – abdominal wall;↓ pain – intraperitoneal
C	Carvallo’s sign	José Manuel Rivero Carvallo	tricuspid regurgitation	increase in volume of murmur on inspiration
C	Casal collar	Gaspar Casal	pellagra (niacin deficiency)	widely variable collar of dermatitis characteristically in c3,c4 dermatomes
C	Casoni test	Tomaso Casoni	hydatid disease	intradermal injection of hydatid fluid causing wheal
C	Celsus signs of inflammation	Aulus Cornelius Celsus	inflammation	1. Rubor (redness) 2. Tumor (swelling)3. Calor (heat) 4. Dolor (pain)
C	Chaddock reflex	Charles Gilbert Chaddock	pyramidal lesions, corticospinal tract lesions	extension of the big toe with stimulation of skin over the lateral malleolus
C	Chadwick sign	James Read Chadwick	pregnancy	cyanosis of vulva, vagina, and cervix
C	Charcot’s triad	Jean-Martin Charcot	ascending cholangitis	jaundice, fever and chills, RUQ pain
C	Charcot’s triad	Jean-Martin Charcot	multiple sclerosis	nystagmus, intention tremor, staccato speech
C	Charcot–Leyden crystals	Jean-Martin Charcot, Ernst Viktor von Leyden	any disorder characterized by eosinophil proliferation, e.g. ascariasis	lysophospholipase crystals in various tissues
C	Cheyne–Stokes respiration	John Cheyne, William Stokes	respiratory center damage	the fluctuation between apnoea and tachypnoea
C	Churchill–Cope reflex	Edward Delos Churchill, Oliver Cope	heart failure	distension of pulmonary vascular bed causes tachypnoea
C	Chvostek sign	František Chvostek	hypocalcemia	tapping over facial nerve elicits abnormal muscle contraction(s)
C	Claybrook sign	Edwin Claybrook	blunt abdominal trauma	heart and/or breath sounds heard through abdominal wall indicate rupture of viscus
C	Clutton’s joints	Henry Hugh Clutton	congenital syphilis	painless symmetrical hydrarthrosis, particularly of the knees
C	Codman’s triangle	Ernest Codman	osteosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma	triangular subperiosteal growth
C	Comby sign	Jules Comby	rubeola	whitish patches on gingiva and buccal mucosa
C	Comolli’s sign	Antonio Comolli	Scapular fracture	triangular swelling corresponding to the outline of the scapula
C	Coombs test	Robin Coombs	hemolytic anemia
C	Coons fluorescent antibody method	Albert Coons		detection of antibodies by fluorescence microscopy using fluorescein-labelled antibodies
C	Cornell’s sign	Ethel L. Cornell, American Neuropsychologist and Psychiatrist, Columbia University NY (1882-1972)	pyramidal tract lesions	scratching alongside big toe extensor tendon elicits an extensor plantar response
C	Corrigan pulse	Dominic John Corrigan	aortic insufficiency	carotid pulsations with abrupt ascending and descending phases
C	Councilman body	William Thomas Councilman	yellow fever, viral haemorrhagic fevers	eosinophilic globules in liver
C	Courvoisier’s law	Ludwig Georg Courvoisier	obstructive jaundice	palpable gall bladder w/ painless jaundice unlikely to be cholelithiasis
C	Crichton-Browne sign	Sir James Crichton-Browne	‘general paresis’	tremor at corners of the mouth and of the outer canthus
C	Crowe sign	Frank W. Crowe	neurofibromatosis type I	axillary freckling
C	Cruveilhier–Baumgarten bruit	Jean Cruveilhier, Paul Clemens von Baumgarten	Cruveilhier–Baumgarten disease	bruit around the umbilicus
C	Cullen’s sign	Thomas S. Cullen	intra-abdominal haemorrhage	ecchymosis around umbilicus predicts onset of acute pancreatitis
C	Curschmann spirals	Heinrich Curschmann	asthma	spiral mucus plugs found in sputum
C	Cushing’s triad	Harvey Cushing	raised intracranial pressure	elevated systolic bp, bradycardia, irregular respiration
D	Dagher Maneuver	Nabil Dagher	penetrating pelvic trauma	bimanual palpation of a foreign object lodged in the pelvis with one digit in an incision lateral to the anus and the other digit inserted in the rectum
D	Dahlén–Fuchs nodules	Johan Dahlén, Ernst Fuchs	sympathetic ophthalmia
D	Dahl’s sign	K.V. Dahl	COPD	pigmented calluses on the anterior surface of thighs (from leaning on elbows)
D	Dalrymple sign	John Dalrymple	thyrotoxicosis	widened palpebral opening
D	Dance’s sign	Jean Baptiste Hippolyte Dance	ileo-cecal intussusception	empty RLQ (retracted right iliac fossa)
D	Darier’s sign	Ferdinand-Jean Darier	urticaria pigmentosa	dermatographia
D	Dawson’s fingers	James Walker Dawson	multiple sclerosis	the characteristic finger-like appearance of lateral ventricle on mri, ct, or at autopsy
D	De Musset’s sign	Alfred de Musset	aortic insufficiency	head nodding in time with heartbeat
D	Dennie–Morgan fold	Charles Clayton Dennie DB Morgan	atopic dermatitis	accentuated fold below the lower eyelid
D	Destot’s sign	Etienne Destot	pelvic fracture	ecchymosis superior to inguinal ligament, in scrotum or of thigh
D	Dix–Hallpike test	Margaret R. Dix, Charles Skinner Hallpike	Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo	Elicitation of extreme vertigo upon lateral movement of a patient’s head when lying in a supine position
D	Döhle bodies	Karl Gottfried Paul Döhle	various including trauma and neoplasm	basophilic inclusions in peripheral cytoplasm of neutrophils
D	Doi’s sign	Hitoka Doi	Eaton–Lambert syndrome	reappearance of absent deep tendon reflexes after short period of maximal muscle contraction
D	Dunphy sign	Osborne Joby Dunphy	appendicitis	increase in abdominal pain on coughing
D	Duroziez’s sign	Paul Louis Duroziez	aortic insufficiency	double bruit heard over femoral artery when it is compressed distally (see Traube’s sign)
E	Elschnig spots	Anton Elschnig	hypertensive retinopathy
E	Epstein’s pearls	Alois Epstein	normal newborn	cystic papules on the palate
E	Ewart’s sign	William Ewart	pericardial effusion	percussive dullness, aegophony and bronchial breath sounds at L scapular tip
F	Faget sign	Jean-Charles Faget	Yellow fever Typhoid Fever tularaemia brucellosis others	the unusual constellation of fever and bradycardia
F	Finkelstein’s test	Harry Finkelstein	DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis
F	Forchheimer spots	Frederick Forchheimer	rubella	small red spots on the soft palate
F	Fothergill’s sign	John Fothergill	rectus sheath hematoma	the anterior abdominal mass which does not cross the midline and is still palpable when abdominal wall muscles are tensed
F	Fox’s sign	George Henry Fox	haemorrhagic pancreatitis	ecchymosis of inguinal ligament (blood tracks retroperitoneally)
F	Frank’s sign	Sanders T. Frank	ischaemic heart disease	ear crease indicating risk of heart disease (disputed)
F	Friedreich’s sign	Nikolaus Friedreich	constrictive pericarditis, tricuspid insufficiency	collapse of distended neck veins in diastole
F	Froment’s sign	Jules Froment	ulnar nerve palsy	patient required to hold paper between thumb and palm (against attempt to withdraw);ability to do so is assessed
G	Gallavardin phenomenon	Louis Gallavardin	aortic stenosis	dissociation of musical and noisy elements in ejection murmur
G	Gamna–Favre bodies	Carlos Gamna, Maurice Favre	lymphogranuloma venereum	basophilic cytoplasmic inclusion bodies
G	Gandy–Gamna nodules	Charles Gandy, Carlos Gamna	splenomegaly due to portal hypertension and sickle cell disease	small yellow-brown foci in the spleen
G	Garrod’s pads	Archibald Garrod	repeated extreme tension of the extensor tendon in the interphalangeal joint	thickening of skin and tissue over the interphalangeal joint
G	Gerhardt’s sign	Carl Jakob Adolf Christian Gerhardt		controversial^{[permanent dead link]}: see references
G	Glasgow Coma Scale	Glasgow	A neurological scale that 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.
G	Goetz sign	Robert H. Goetz	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
G	Gonda’s sign	Viktor Gonda, Ukrainian Neuropsychiatrist, (1889-1959)	pyramidal tract lesions	flexing then suddenly releasing the 4th toe elicits an extensor plantar response
G	Goodell’s sign	William Goodell	pregnancy	softening of the vaginal part of the cervix during the first trimester
G	Goodsall’s rule	David Henry Goodsall	anal fistula	anatomical relationships, differentiation of fistula types
G	Gordon’s sign	Alfred Gordon	pyramidal tract lesions	squeezing the calf muscle elicits an extensor plantar response
G	Gottron’s papules	Heinrich Adolf Gottron	dermatomyositis	Scaling, erythematous eruption or dusky red patches over the knuckles, elbows and knees
G	Gowers’ sign^[3]	William Richard Gowers	muscular dystrophy
G	Graham Steell murmur	Graham Steell	mitral stenosis	pulmonary regurgitation murmur in patients with pulmonary hypertension secondary to mitral stenosis
G	Grey Turner’s sign	George Grey Turner	retroperitoneal hemorrhage	flank ecchymosis
G	Griffith’s sign	Alexander Hill Griffith, Scottish Ophthalmologist, Manchester (1858-1937)	Graves’ ophthalmopathy	lid lag of the lower eyelid on upward eye movement
G	Gunn’s sign	Robert Marcus Gunn	hypertension	AV “nicking” or “nipping” in hypertensive retinopathy
H	Hamman’s sign	Louis Hamman	oesophageal perforation w/ pneumomediastinum	crepitus in sync w/ heartbeat but not respiration
H	Hampton’s hump	Aubrey Otis Hampton	pulmonary embolus with infarct	wedge-shaped consolidation at the periphery with a base on the pleura
H	Hampton’s line	Aubrey Otis Hampton	peptic ulcer	the line on barium meal indicating mucosal oedema associated with ulcer
H	Hannington-Kiff sign	John G. Hannington-Kiff	obturator hernia	absent thigh adductor reflex with positive patellar reflex
H	Harrison’s groove	Edward Harrison	rickets	rib deformity at the lower thorax
H	Hatchcock’s sign	?	mumps	tenderness behind the angle of the jaw (typically before swelling is evident)
H	Heberden’s node	William Heberden	osteoarthritis	same as Bouchard’s nodes, but over dip joints
H	Hegar’s sign	Ernst Ludwig Alfred Hegar	normal pregnancy	softening of cervical isthmus appearing between 4th and 6th weeks (usually)
H	Hess test	Alfred Fabian Hess	capillary fragility	the appearance of petechiae after compression of the arm by bandage or blood pressure cuff
H	Hildreth’s sign	DH Hildreth	glomus tumor	Relief of pain at tumor site upon vascular occlusion of limb, with acute return of pain on reperfusion
H	Hippocratic face	Hippocrates	impending death
H	Hippocratic fingers	Hippocrates	chronic hypoxia	clubbing of distal phalanges
H	Hirschberg test	Julius Hirschberg	strabismus	corneal reflection centred (-) or not centred (+) on pupil
H	Hoffmann’s sign	Johann Hoffmann	corticospinal tract lesions	tapping distal phalanx of 3rd or 4th finger elicits flexion of same in thumb
H	Hollenhorst plaque	Robert Hollenhorst	hypertension, coronary artery disease, and/or diabetes	cholesterol embolus(i) of retinal artery(ies)
H	Homans’ sign	John Homans	deep venous thrombosis	knee bent, ankle abruptly dorsiflexed, popliteal pain
H	Hoover’s sign (leg paresis)	Charles Franklin Hoover	lower extremity paresis	differentiates organic from non-organic etiology
H	Hoover’s sign (pulmonary)	Charles Franklin Hoover	COPD	inward movement of lower ribs during inspiration
H	Howship–Romberg sign	John Howship, Moritz Heinrich Romberg	obturator hernia	pain from an obturator hernia radiating to the knee
H	Hubscher’s Maneuver		Flexible vs rigid flatfoot deformity	The patient bears weight on foot. Hallux is dorsiflexed. If the arch is recreated, the test is positive. Indicative of flexible deformity
H	Hutchinson’s freckle	Sir Jonathan Hutchinson	melanoma	precancerous facial pigmentation
H	Hutchinson’s pupil	Sir Jonathan Hutchinson	oculomotor nerve lesion	dilated pupil on the side of an intracranial lesion due to IIIrd nerve compression
H	Hutchinson’s sign	Sir Jonathan Hutchinson	herpes zoster	lesion on the tip of the nose which can presage ocular herpes zoster
H	Hutchinson’s teeth^[4]	Sir Jonathan Hutchinson	congenital syphilis	small, widely spaced incisors with notched biting surfaces
H	Hutchinson’s triad	Sir Jonathan Hutchinson	congenital syphilis	interstitial keratitis, nerve deafness, Hutchinson’s teeth
J	Janeway lesion	Theodore Caldwell Janeway	infective endocarditis	palmar or plantar erythematous or haemorrhagic papules
J	Jendrassik maneuver	Ernő Jendrassik	hyporeflexia	compares patellar reflex w/ and w/o distraction
J	Jobe’s relocation test	Christopher Jobe
J	Joffroy’s sign	Alexis Joffroy	exophthalmos in Graves disease	lack of forehead wrinkling when patient looks up with head bowed
J	Jolly’s test	Friedrich Jolly	myasthenia gravis or Eaton–Lambert syndrome	electromyography test using repeated stimuli to show fatiguability in myasthenia
J	Jones criteria	T. Duckett Jones	rheumatic fever	criteria used to diagnose rheumatic fever
K	Kanavel’s sign	Allen B. Kanavel	tenosynovitis of flexor digitorum tendon	(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.
K	Kayser–Fleischer ring	Bernhard Kayser, Bruno Fleischer	Wilson’s disease(hepatolenticular degeneration)	ring of brownish copper deposit at corneo-scleral junction
K	Kehr’s sign	Hans Kehr	ruptured spleen	referred pain to L’s shoulder
K	Kelly’s sign	Howard Atwood Kelly		visible response of the ureter when touched (means of identifying same)
K	Kerley lines	Peter Kerley	pulmonary edema
K	Kernig’s sign	Woldemar Kernig	meningism, meningitis, subarachnoid haemorrhage	hip and knee fully flexed, extension of knee elicits pain and/or opisthotonus
K	Kocher’s sign	Emil Theodor Kocher	Hyperthyroidism, Basedow’s disease,	In fixation on a fast upward movement, there occurs a convulsive retraction of the eyelid
K	Koebner’s phenomenon	Heinrich Koebner	various conditions
K	Koeppe’s nodules	Leonhard Koeppe	uveitis	granulomatous nodules at pupillary margin
K	Koplik’s spots	Henry Koplik	measles
K	Korotkoff sounds	Nikolai Korotkov	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)
K	Kussmaul breathing^[5]	Adolph Kussmaul	metabolic acidosis	labored deep breathing with normal or reduced frequency
K	Kussmaul’s sign	Adolph Kussmaul	various, including right-side failure	increased jugular distension on inspiration
K	Kveim test	Morten Ansgar Kveim	sarcoidosis	intradermal injection of lymphatic extract from known sufferer; obsolete
L	Lachman maneuver	John Lachman	anterior cruciate ligament injury	modified anterior drawer test with knee in less flexion
L	Ladin’s sign	Louis Julius Ladin, Lithuanian-American Gynecologist, (1862-1951)	normal pregnancy	softening of the uterus; similar to Hegar’s sign
L	Lancisi’s sign	Giovanni Maria Lancisi	tricuspid regurgitation	giant v-wave is seen in the jugular vein
L	Larrey’s sign	Dominique Larrey	sacroiliitis	pain in sacroiliac area on sitting down on a hard chair
L	Lasègue’s sign	Charles Lasègue	lumbar disc lesions, sciatica	better known as the straight leg raise test
L	Leopold’s maneuver	Christian Gerhard Leopold		determination of fetal lie
L	Leser–Trélat sign	Edmund Leser, Ulysse Trélat	malignant neoplasm	sudden onset of multiple pruritic seborrheic keratoses
L	Levine’s sign	Samuel A. Levine	myocardial infarction	patient clenches fist over chest when asked to describe pain
L	Lhermitte’s sign	Jean Lhermitte	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
L	Liebermeister’s rule	Carl von Liebermeister		For each fever degree Celsius an increase of 8 beats per minute in cardiac frequency
L	Lisch nodule	Karl Lisch	type I neurofibromatosis	yellow brown hamartomata on iris
L	Lisker’s sign	?	deep venous thrombosis	tenderness on percussion of antero-medial tibia
L	Litten’s sign	Moritz Litten	infective endocarditis	Cotton wool exudate in the retina
L	Lombard effect	Étienne Lombard	malingering due to simulated deafness	automatic rise in the loudness of a person’s voice when they speak in noise
L	Louvel’s sign	?	deep venous thrombosis	increased pain along the vein with valsalva; proximal pressure prevents this
L	Lowenberg’s sign	?	deep vein thrombosis	immediate pain on inflating blood pressure cuff around calf
M	MacDonald triad	John M. MacDonald	sociopathic personality disorder	eneuresis, firesetting, and animal torture predictive of future criminal behaviour
M	Macewen’s sign	Sir William Macewen	hydrocephalus, brain abscess	resonance on percussion of fronto-temporo-parietal suture
M	Magnan’s sign	Valentin Magnan	cocaine dependence	feeling of moving foreign body under the skin
M	Mantoux test	Charles Mantoux	tuberculosis	intradermal protein derivative – diameter of wheal evaluated
M	Marcus Gunn pupil	Robert Marcus Gunn	severe retinal disease, lesion of optic nerve anterior to chiasm	Relative pupil dilatation when light swings to the affected side
M	Markle sign	?	appendicitis	RLQ pain on dropping from standing on toes to heels
M	Mayne’s sign	?	aortic insufficiency	diastolic blood pressure drop of >15mmHg on raising arm
M	McBurney’s point	Charles McBurney	appendicitis	2/3 of the way lateral on a line from umbilicus to anterior superior iliac spine (corresponds to the junction of vermiform appendix and cecum)
M	McConnell’s sign	M.V. McConnell	pulmonary embolism	echocardiography finding of akinesia of the mid-free wall of the right ventricle but normal motion of the apex
M	McMurray test	Thomas Porter McMurray	meniscal tear	knee extended, valgus stress applied, leg rotated produces a palpable or audible click
M	Means–Lerman scratch	J. Lerman, J.H. Means	hyperthyroidism	systolic heart murmur similar to pericardial rub
M	Mees’ lines	R.A. Mees	arsenic or heavy metal poisoning	transverse white lines across the nails
M	Mellinghoff’s sign	Karl Hermann Mellinghoff, German Endocrinologist, (1908-1967)	cutaneous decompression sickness	coughing or Valsalve accentuates the venous markings of an erysipeloid rash
M	Mentzer index	William C. Mentzer Jr.	microcytic anemia	differentiates iron deficiency anaemia from beta thalassemia
M	Miller Fisher test	C. Miller Fisher	normal pressure hydrocephalus	Improvement in cognitive function after withdrawal of CSF during lumbar puncture used to confirm diagnosis
M	Moniz sign	António Egas Moniz	pyramidal tract lesions	forceful plantar flexion of the ankle elicits an extensor plantar response
M	Möbius sign	Paul Julius Möbius	thyrotoxicosis	inability to maintain convergence of eyes
M	Muehrcke’s lines	Robert C. Muehrcke	hypoalbuminaemia, chemotherapy	paired transverse white lines on the nail bed
M	Mulder’s sign	Jacob D. Mulder	Morton’s neuroma	transverse compression of the forefoot elicits pain in the distribution of the affected nerve
M	Müller’s maneuver	Johannes Peter Müller	collapsed section of the airway	patient attempts to breathe in with nose and mouth closed (opposite of Valsalva maneuver)
M	Müller’s sign	Friedrich von Müller	aortic insufficiency	visible pulsation or bobbing of the uvula
M	Murphy’s punch sign	John B. Murphy	perinephric abscess	punch tenderness at the costovertebral angle
M	Murphy’s sign	John B. Murphy	cholecystitis	hesitation on inspiration while gall bladder is palpated
M	Myerson’s sign	Abraham Myerson	Parkinson’s disease	inability to resist blinking when glabella is percussed
N	Naegele’s rule	Franz Karl Naegele	gestation	method of estimating the due date
N	Nardi test	George Nardi	dysfunction of sphincter of Oddi	administration of morphine and neostigmine reproduces sharp LUQ pain; not in general use
N	Nikolsky’s sign	Pyotr Nikolsky	various, including pemphigus vulgaris	shearing of epidermis under pressure
O	O’Brien’s test	?
O	O’Donoghue’s triad	D. O’Donoghue	knee injury	the coincidence of anterior cruciate injury, medial collateral injury, and meniscal tear
O	Oliver’s sign	William Silver Oliver	aortic arch aneurysm	caudal movement of the trachea with systole
O	Oppenheim’s sign	Hermann Oppenheim	pyramidal tract lesions	irritation downward of the medial tibia causes dorsiflexion of big toe
O	Ortolani test	Marino Ortolani	congenital hip dislocation	palpable clunk on moving hip
O	Osborn wave	John Jay Osborn, American Cardiologist, (1917-2014)	hypothermia	positive deflection at the QRS-ST junction
O	Osler’s node	Sir William Osler	various, including SBE and SLE	painful red lesions on the pads of the fingers and plantar surfaces
O	Osler’s sign	Sir William Osler	atherosclerosis	falsely elevated bp reading due to incompressibility of calcified vessels
P	Palla’s sign	?	pulmonary embolism	enlarged right descending pulmonary artery on chest x-ray
P	Pastia’s sign	Constantin Chessec Pastia	scarlet fever	lines of confluent petechiae in skin creases (associated with Scarlatiniform rash and strep pyogenes)
P	Patrick’s test	Hugh Talbot Patrick	sacroiliitis	external rotation of the hip causes pain
P	Peabody’s sign	C.N. Peabody	deep vein thrombosis	calf muscle spasm when raising the affected leg with the foot extended
P	Pemberton’s sign	Hugh Pemberton	retrosternal mass with superior vena cava syndrome	arms elevated overhead elicits facial plethora, distended neck veins, and inspiratory stridor
P	Phalen’s maneuver	George S. Phalen	carpal tunnel syndrome	30–60 seconds of full forced flexion of the wrist elicits symptoms
P	Piskaçek’s sign	Ludwig Piskaçek	normal pregnancy	palpable lateral bulge at tubal-uterine junction; present at 7–8 weeks
P	Plummer’s nail	Henry Stanley Plummer	thyrotoxicosis	onycholysis especially of ring and little fingers
P	Pratt’s sign	Gerald H. Pratt	deep venous thrombosis	pain elicited by compression of the posterior calf
Q	Queckenstedt’s maneuver	Hans Heinrich Georg Queckenstedt	spinal stenosis	bilateral jugular vein pressure during lumbar puncture causes a sudden rise in CSF pressure
Q	Quincke’s sign	Heinrich Irenaeus Quincke	aortic insufficiency	visible pulsation in the ungual capillary bed
R	Reynolds’ pentad	B.M. Reynolds	ascending cholangitis	Charcot’s triad + hypotension and altered mental state
R	Riesman’s sign	David Riesman	thyrotoxicosis	bruit over the globe of the eye
R	Rigler’s sign^[6]	Leo George Rigler	pneumoperitoneum	gas outlines both mucosal and serosal surfaces of the bowel
R	Rinne test	Heinrich Adolf Rinne	hearing impairment	comparison of air conduction to bone conduction differentiates sensorineural from conductive deafness
R	Romaña’s sign	Cecilio Romaña	Chagas’ disease	painless unilateral periorbital swelling
R	Romberg test	Moritz Heinrich Romberg	dorsal column lesions, cerebellar lesions, alcohol intoxication	inability to maintain posture with eyes closed
R	Rose’s sign	?	deep vein thrombosis	The warm, stiff feeling of skin when affected leg is pinched
R	Rosenbach’s test	Ottomar Rosenbach	bilirubinuria	colour produced by the addition of nitric acid
R	Rosenstein’s sign	Paul Rosenstein	appendicitis	tenderness in the right lower quadrant increases when the patient moves from the supine position to a recumbent posture on the left side
R	Rossolimo’s sign	Grigory Ivanovich Rossolimo	pyramidal tract lesions	percussion of the tips of the toes causes exaggerated flexion of the toes
R	Roth’s spots	Moritz Roth	various, including SBE and systemic vasculitides	retinal hemorrhages with pale centres seen at fundoscopy
R	Rovsing’s sign	Niels Thorkild Rovsing	appendicitis	palpation of LLQ elicits pain in RLQ
R	Rumpel–Leede sign	Theodor Rumpel, Carl Stockbridge Leede	capillary fragility	petechiae seen after compression by tourniquet
R	Russell’s sign	Gerald Russell	bulimia nervosa	scarring of the dorsum of one hand (contact with incisors when purging)
S	Salus’s sign	Robert Salus	hypertension	deflection of retinal veins at right angle junctions due to elongation or shortening of connected arterioles
S	Schaeffer’s sign	Max Schaeffer	pyramidal tract lesions	squeezing the Achilles tendon elicits an extensor plantar response
S	Schamroth’s window test	Leo Schamroth	chronic hypoxia	identifies clubbing of distal phalanges
S	Schiller’s test	Walter Schiller	cervical cancer	affected areas of the cervix fail to stain brown with iodine solution
S	Schilling test	Robert F. Schilling	pernicious anaemia, coeliac disease, other malabsorption disorders	B12 radioassay; rare
S	Schirmer’s test	Otto Schirmer	keratoconjunctivitis sicca, as in Sjögren’s syndrome	quantifies lacrimal secretion
S	Schober test	Paul Schober	various disorders of lumbar vertebrae	quantifies lumbar flexion
S	Sherren’s triangle	James Sherren	appendicitis	area of hyperaesthesia over the right lower abdomen
S	Shone’s complex	John D. Shone	congenital heart defect	supravalvular mitral ring, parachute deformity of the mitral valve, subaortic stenosis, and coarctation of the aorta
S	Siegrist streaks	August Siegrist	malignant hypertension	hyperpigmented sreaks parallel to choroidal vessels
S	Simmonds’ test	Franklin Adin Simmonds	Achilles tendon rupture	squeezing of the calf fails to produce plantar flexion
S	Sims–Huhner test	Harry M. Sims, Max Huhner	infertility	determination of sperm count and motility in a sample taken from the cervical canal within an hour of intercourse
S	Sister Mary Joseph nodule^[7]	Sister Mary Joseph Dempsey (born Julia Dempsey)	various abdominal malignancies	palpable lymph node in the umbilicus
S	Spurling’s test	Roy Glenwood Spurling	cervical radiculopathy	axial compression and rotation of the cervical spine to the side of symptoms cause pain
S	Stellwag’s sign	Karl Stellwag von Carion	thyrotoxicosis	infrequent and/or incomplete blinking, accompanied by Dalrymple’s sign
S	Still’s murmur	Sir George Frederick Still	subaortic stenosis, small Ventricular septal defect	systolic ejection sound; vibratory/musical; best heard at left lower sternal border
S	Stransky’s sign	?	pyramidal tract lesions	sudden abduction and release of the little toe causes an extensor plantar response
S	Stroop test	John Ridley Stroop	various, including ADHD and schizophrenia	reaction times for incongruent stimuli (e.g., word red printed in blue)
S	Strümpell’s sign	Adolph Strümpell	spastic pareses of the lower extremity	failure of abrupt passive flexion of the hip and/or knee to elicit dorsiflexion and adduction of the foot
T	Terry’s nails	R. Terry	various including hepatic failure	white ‘ground-glass’ nails; absence of lunula
T	Terry Thomas sign	Terry-Thomas	Scapho-lunate dissociation	The gap between the scaphoid and lunate bones on the AP wrist radiograph
T	Thomas test	Hugh Owen Thomas	Fixed flexion deformity of hip	Supine patient flexes one hip whilst keeping the other leg flat; back arches if flexion deformity is present
T	Throckmorton’s reflex	Tom Bentley Throckmorton	pyramidal tract lesions	pressure over the dorsal big toe MTP joint elicits an extensor plantar response
T	Tinel’s sign	Jules Tinel	neuritis, compression disorders	‘DTP’ – distal tingling on percussion
T	Todd’s paresis	Robert Bentley Todd	seizure disorders	focal weakness for as much as 48 hours after seizure
T	Traube’s sign	Ludwig Traube	splenomegaly	dull percussion sound over Traube’s space
T	Trendelenburg’s sign	Friedrich Trendelenburg	inferior gluteal palsy, other causes of hip abductor weakness	pelvic tilt contralateral to ‘stance leg’
T	Troisier’s sign	Charles Emile Troisier	Various abdominal malignancies, especially stomach cancer	Enlargement of the left supraclavicular lymph node (=Virchow’s node)
T	Trousseau’s sign of malignancy	Armand Trousseau	various malignancies, including pancreatic	spontaneous thrombosis of multiple veins, including portal circulation
T	Trousseau’s sign of latent tetany	Armand Trousseau	hypocalcaemia	in hypocalcaemia, occlusion of the brachial artery induces carpal spasm
U	Uhthoff’s phenomenon	Wilhelm Uhthoff	multiple sclerosis	↑ in neurological symptoms with exercise or other increase in body temperature
U	Unterberger test	Siegfried Unterberger	vestibular lesions	patient walks in place with eyes closed; direction of rotation indicates vestibular lesion on that side
V	Virchow’s node	Rudolf Virchow	Various abdominal malignancies, especially stomach cancer	Enlargement of the left supraclavicular lymph node (=Troisier’s sign)
V	Virchow’s triad	Rudolf Virchow	etiology of thrombosis	Hypercoagulability, Hemodynamic changes (stasis, turbulence), and Endothelial injury/dysfunction
V	Von Braun-Fernwald’s sign	Karl von Braun-Fernwald	pregnancy	softening of the uterine fundus at the site of implantation at 4–5 weeks gestation
V	Von Graefe sign	Albrecht von Graefe	Graves’ disease	‘ lid lag’; immobility of upper lid on downward gaze
W	Wada test	Juhn Atsushi Wada	epilepsy, anatomical lesions of the cerebrum	short-acting barbiturate injected in internal carotid; lateralizes language function
W	Waddell’s signs	G. Waddell	chronic pain	identify non-organic sources of low back pain
W	Waddell’s triad	J.P. Waddell	child pedestrian struck by motor vehicle	Head trauma, thoracic and/or abdominal trauma, femoral fracture
W	Watson’s water hammer pulse	Thomas Watson	aortic regurgitation	bounding forceful pulse elicited with postural maneuvers
W	Wellens’ sign or warning	Hein Wellens	severe stenosis of LAD	characteristic EKG changes
W	Westermark sign	Nils Westermark	pulmonary embolism	Area of oligaemia on chest x-ray
W	Whipple’s triad	Allen Whipple	hypoglycemia	1. symptoms associated with hypoglycemia 2. measured low serum glucose 3. relief of symptoms with administration of glucose p.o. or iv
W	Wickham’s striae	Louis Frédéric Wickham	lichen planus	white or greyish lines on the lichen planus lesions
W	Widal test	Georges-Fernand Widal	enteric fever	serum agglutination; obsolete(?)
W	Winterbottom’s sign	Thomas Masterman Winterbottom	trypanosomiasis	posterior cervical chain adenopathy
W	Wolff–Parkinson–White triad	Sir John Parkinson, Paul Dudley White, Louis Wolff	supraventricular tachycardia	pre-excitation on ECG
W	Wright’s maneuver	?
Y	Yeoman’s test	?	sacroiliitis	sacroiliac pain on rotation of the ilium and extension of the hip
Y	Yergason’s test	?	bicipital tendinitis	anterior shoulder pain with resisted supination of the forearm

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_eponymously_named_medical_signs