Signs, Tests, Laws, Syndromes and Eponyms Flashcards
Allen’s test
Test of hand circulation.
Ask patient to drain hand by forming a fist and then compress the ulnar and radial arteries.
Ask patient to open fist.
Release one of the arteries and observe palmar flushing - indicates arterial patency.
Repeat for the other artery
Aaron’s Sign
Pressure in the RIL causing epigastric pain and cardiac discomfort in chronic appendicitis
Battle’s sign
Periorbital ecchymoses. Seen in a basal skull fracture
Beck’s triad
Seen in cardiac tamponade:
1. jugular venous distension 2. muffled heart sounds 3. low BP
Boas’ sign
Right subscapular pain in gall stones
Boerhaave’s syndrome
Oesphageal rupture - traumatic or after binge drinking
Carcinoid syndrome
Syndrome caused by serotonin release from a carcinoid tumour:
1. broncospasm 2. flushing 3. diarrhoea 4. right sided heart failure
Charcot’s triad
Seen in ascending cholangitis:
1. fever with rigors 2. jaundice 3. RUQ pain
Chvostek’s sign
Seen in hypocalcaemia.
Tapping of facial nerve causes twitching of facial muscles
Compartment syndrome
Condition of increased pressure in a confined anatomical space adversely affected circulation and threatening the function and viability of tissues therein
Courvoisier’s law
If in the presence of jaundice there is a mass in the RUQ the jaundice is unlikely to be due to stones.
The cause is therefore most likely to be due to pancreatic head carcinoma - in gallstones the gall bladder in fibrotic and shrivelled.
Cullen’s sign
Periumbillical ecchymosis, secondary to retroperitoneal haemorrhage.
Seen in pancreatitis
Cushing’s triad
Seen in ICP:
1. increased BP 2. bradycardia 3. irregular respirations
Cushing’s syndrome
A clinical syndrome of glucocorticoid excess.
If due to excess ACTH levels (in pituitary tumour or ectopic production) known as Cushing’s disease
Dercum’s disease
Multiple painful lipomatosis - often of the trunk
Dumping syndrome
Seen after gastric vagotomy, pylorplasty, and gastrojejunostomy.
Caused by rapid passage of large amounts of hyperosmolar chyme into the small bowel.
1. Autonomic instability (flushing, sweating, dizziness, vasomotor collapse)
2. Abdominal pain
3. Diarrhoea
Fox’s sign
Ingunial ligament ecchymosis secondary to retroperitoneal haemorrhage.
Seen in pancreatitis
Gardener’s syndrome
Autosomal dominant premalignant syndrome:
1. multiple colonic polposis 2. skill osteomoas 3. epidermoid cysts 4. fibromas
Goodsall’s line and law
Line:
draw a line horizontally through the anus of a patient in the lithotomy position
Law:
anal fistulae occurring above the line (anterior fistulae) take a straight course into the anal canal
anal fistulae occurring below the line (posterior fistulae) take a curved course into the anal canal
Grey Turner’s Sign
Flank ecchymosis seen in retroperitoneal haemorrhage.
Seen in pancreatitis
Kaposi - Stemmer sign
Inability to pick up skin in lymphoedema
Kehr’s sign
Intense left shoulder tip pain in splenic rupture.
Caused by referred pain due to diaphragmatic irritation
Krukenburg tumour
Metastatic tumour to ovary, classically from stomach
Leriche’s syndrome
Seen in illiac occlusive disease:
1. buttock claudication 2. buttock atrophy 3. impotence
McBurney’s point and sign
Point:
Starting from the umbilicus, a point 2/3 along line drawn from the umbilicus to the right ASIS
Sign:
Pressure on this point causes pain in acute appendicitis
Mendleson’s syndrome
Chemical aspiration pneumonitis following aspiration of gastric contents
Mirrizi’s syndrome
Extraluminal compression of CBD from a cystic gallstone.
May cause obstructive jaundice
Murphy’s sign
Seen in cholecystitis.
Palpation of the RUQ causes pain on inspiration as the inflamed gall bladder moves down and hits the palpating hand
Obturator sign
Seen in appendicitis and pelvic abscess.
Pain on internal rotation of right lower limb, with knee and hip flexed
Peutz-Jegher’s syndrome
Syndrome of benign GI polyps with circumoral pigmentation
Plummer Vision syndrome
Syndrome of oesophgeal webs and dysphagia caused by iron deficiency.
May develop into SCC
Psoas sign
Seen in appendicits and psoas inflammation
Pain on extending the hip with the knee in full extension
Racoon eyes
Bilateral orbital ecchymoses.
Seen in basal skull fracture
Reynold’s pentad
Seen in suprative cholangitis
Charcots triad (fever and rigors + jaundice + RUQ pain) +
CNS alteration
Shock/ sepsis
Rovsing’s sign
Seen in appendicitis:
Palpation in the LIF causes pain in the RIL
Saint’s triad
3 conditions that usually coexist
Gall stones, hiatus hernia, diverticular disease
Sister Mary Joseph’s sign
Metastatic tumour to umbilical lymph nodes
Superior vena cava syndrome
SVC obstruction causing engorged face, neck, and upper chest veins
Tietze’s syndrome
Costochondritis of rib cartilage presenting with pleuritic type pain.
Aseptic
Treat with NSAIDs
Trousseau’s sign
Seen in hypoglycaemia.
Carpopedal spasm after blood occlusion (with BP cuff) in forearm or leg.
Virchow’s node
Metatastic tumour to left supraclavicular node
von Hippel Lindau syndrome
Autosomal dominant syndrome of retinal and cerebella angiomata. Occasionally associated with renal cell carcinoma and phaeochromocytoma.
Whipple’s triad
Seen in insulinoma.
1. hypoglyceamia 2. CNS and vasomotor symptoms 3. symptomatic relief following glucose
Zollinger - Ellison’s syndrome
Syndrome of gastrinoma and peptic ulcer disease
