Clinical Eponyms
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This list is available for the Palm Pilot at Andrew Yee's website.

Cabot ring
 In asplenia or malfunctional spleen, nuclear remnants on red blood cells as a thin, darkly-stained ring that follows the margin of the red cell
Cabrera, Sign of
 Notch in at 0.05s in ascending limb of S wave in V3, V4; 27% sens for MI
Caisson disease
 Decompression sickness
Call-Exner bodies
 In granulosa cell tumors, small follicles filled with eosinophilic secretion; an important diagnostic feature
Calot’s triangle
 The area bordered by the 1. cystic duct, 2. common hepatic duct, 3. lower edge of the liver; cystic artery, sometimes hepatic artery found here
Campbell de Morgan spots
 Cherry angioma
Campbell diagram
 Used to determine the work of breathing, including the effects of chest wall compliance, lung compliance, and airway resistance
Canale-Smith syndrome
 Childhood disorder, first described in 1967, characterized by lymphadenopathy and autoimmunity; associated with mutations in Fas; implicates gene in accumulation of lymphocytes and the autoimmunity characteristic of the syndrome
canals of Hering
 At the fringes of the portal tract, from the joining of bile canaliculi
canals of Lambert
 Direct accessory bronchioalveolar connections
Canavan disease
 Autosomal recessive infantile spongy degeneration of the brain with Alzheimer type II cells, increased prevalence among Ashkenazi from mutation in aspartoacylase leading to increased levels of N-acetylaspartic acid, described in 1931
Cantlie’s line
 Separates the right and left lobes of the liver—a line drawn from the IVC to just left of the gallbladder fossa
Cantrell, pentalogy of
 Diaphragmatic defect (hernia), Cardiac abnormality, Omphalocele, Pericardium malformation/absence, Sternal cleft
Capgras syndrome
 Delusional belief that one or a few highly familiar people have been replaced by impostors who are physically very similar to the original/s; seen rarely in schizophrenia.
Caplan’s syndrome
 Coexistence of rheumatoid arthritis with a pneumoconiosis, leading to the development of distinctive pulmonary lesions that develop fairly rapidly; these nodular lesions have central necrosis surrounded by fibroblasts, macrophages, and collagen; can occur in asbestosis and silicosis
carcinoid triad
 1) flushing 2) diarrhea 3) right-sided heart failure (also bronchospasm)
Carey Coombs murmur
 A blubbering apical mid diastolic murmur occurring in the acute stages of rheumatic mitral valvulitis and disappearing as the valvulitis subsides; Carey Coombs, English physician, 1879-1932
Carnett’s test
 Head raise, tenderness persists in abdominal wall condition (rectus hematoma) whereas pain due to intraperitoneal disease lessens
Carney syndrome
 AD complex cardiac myxomas, aggressive biologic behavior, spotty pigmentation, issue with endocrine tumors
Caroli’s disease
 Larger ducts of the intrahepatic biliary tree are segmentally dilated and may contain inspissated bile; pure forms are rare; this disease is usually associated with portal tract fibrosis of the congenital hepatic fibrosis type
Carrión’s disease
 See Oroya fever
Carvallo’s sign
 In tricuspid regurgitation, murmur increases with inspiration
Castle intrinsic factor
 Intrinsic factor secreted by parietal cells, which binds luminal B12 and permits its absorption in the ileum
Castleman’s disease
 Benign lymphoproliferative disorder, characterized by hyperplastic lymphoid follicles with capillary proliferation
cat-scratch disease
 Tender regional lymphadenopathy persisting for 3 weeks or longer, frequently preceded by primary skin lesion after contact with kits, appears to be caused by Bartonella (formerly Rochalimaea) henslae, a small, pleomorphic gram-negative bacillus
Chaddock maneuver
 A firm pressure along the lateral foot to elicit an upgoing plantar reflex if the patient pulls away during the Babniski maneuver
Chadwick’s sign
 Blue-red passive hyperemia of the cervix, characteristic of pregnancy
Chagas’s disease
 Zoonosis caused by protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi; causes destruction of the myenteric plexus of the esophagus, duodenum, colon, and ureter, with resultant dilatation of these structures as well as cardiac disease; transmitted by excreta of hematophagous organisms of the family Reduiviidae
Charcot’s joints
 Neurogenic joint degeneration, can be secondary to syphilis, peripheral neuropathy
Charcot’s triad
 In multiple sclerosis, nystagmus, intention tremor, and staccato speech (or scanning speech)
Charcot’s triad
 In 70% of patients with bacterial cholangitis, right-upper-quadrant pain, jaundice, and fever; c.f. Reynold’s pentad
Charcot-Leyden’s crystals
 Crystals in the shape of elongated double pyramids, formed from eosinophils (from lysophospholipase), found in the sputum in bronchial asthma and in other exudates or transudates containing eosinophils
Charles Bonnet syndrome
 Visual deprivation hallucinations
Charlin’s syndrome of neuralgia
 Severe pain in the inner corner of the eye disproportionate to the degree of ocular inflammation, pain in the root of the nose, tearing, and ipsilateral nasal watery discharge believed to be due to irritation of the ciliary ganglion
Chédiak-Higashi syndrome
 Autosomal recessive disorder, neutropenia, defective degranulation, and delayed microbial killing. Neutrophils and other leukocytes have giant granules (can be seen on blood smears). Effect of microtubule polymerization causes delayed or decreased fusion of lysosomes with phagosomes in leukocytes and thus impairs phagocytosis of bacteria (Robbins 24)
Cheyne-Stokes breathing
 Regularly irregular pattern characterized by a progressive increase in the depth and at times frequency of respiration with a crescendo-decrescendo shape that eventually culminates in an apneic phase; seen in CHF but also in meningitis, CVA, pontine damage
Chilaiditi syndrome
 When redundant loops of transverse colon slip between the liver and diaphragm and cause volvulus
Christmas disease
 Hemophilia B, deficiency in factor IX
Churg-Strauss syndrome
 Allergic angiitis and granulomatosis involvement in the lung
Chvostek’s sign
 Hypocalcemia, in latent tetany, tapping the facial nerve against the bone just anterior to the ear producing ipsilateral contraction of facial muscles
Civatte bodies
 Aka colloid bodies; in lichen planus; anucleate, necrotic basal cells becoming incorporated into the inflamed papillary epidermis
Clara cells
 Cells found in the epithelium of terminal and respiratory bronchioles, devoid of cilia, present secretory granules in their apex and are known to secrete glycosaminoglycans that probably protect the bronchiolar lining
Claude’s syndrome
 Third nerve palsy combined with contralateral ataxia with midbrain infarction and injury to both red nucleus and superior cerebellar peduncle (includes signs of both Nothnagel’s and Benedikt’s syndrome)
clay shoveler’s fracture
 Fracture of spinous process of C7
Clutton’s joints
 In congenital syphilis, symmetrical arthrosis, especially of the knee joints
Cockayne’s syndrome
 Dwarfism, precociously senile appearance, pigmentary degeneration of the retina, optic atrophy, deafness, sensitivity to sunlight, and mental retardation; autosomal recessive inheritance defect in DNA repair?
Codman’s triangle
 In osteosarcoma, the triangular shadow between the cortex and raised ends of periosteum is known radiographically as Codman’s triangle, and is characteristic but not diagnostic of this tumor
Cogan syndrome
 Multisystem inflammatory vascular disease particularyly of the CNS characterized by interstitial keratitis, vestibuloauditory symptoms
Colles’s fracture
 A fracture of the distal radius that occurs when persons fall with outstretched hands to try to catch themselves
Collier’s sign
 Lid retraction in lesion of posterior commissure
conjoint tendon
 Aponeurotic attachments of the transversus abdominis to the pubic tubercle (the classic conjoining of the aponeurosis of the internal oblique and transversus aponeurosis <4%)
Conn’s syndrome
 Primary hyperaldosteronism, caused by an aldosterone-secreting tumor, resulting in hypertension, hypokalemia, hypernatremia, metabolic alkalosis, and low plasma renin
Cooley’s anemia
 Homozygous beta thalassemia; Mediterranean anemia
Coombs test
 Direct, ability of anti-IgG or anti-C3 antisera to agglutinate the patient’s red blood cells; cold reacting antibodies react with anti-C3 (mostly drug-related antibodies, IgM antibodies (generally to polysaccharide), IgG antibodies of low affinity); indirect Coombs, serum of the patient is incubated with normal red cells, though IgM antibodies may agglutinate directly
Cooper's hernia
 Hernia through the femoral canal and tracking into the scrotum or labia majus
Cori’s disease
 Glycogen storage disease type III, deficiency in debranching enzyme, amylo-1,6-glucosidase, leading to variable accumulation of glycogen in the liver, heart, or skeletal muscle, characterized by stunted growth, hepatomegaly, and hypoglycemia
Corrigan’s pulse
 In aortic regurgitation, pulses are of the water-hammer or collapsing type with abrupt distension and quick collapse, can be exaggerated by raising the patient’s arm
Costen’s syndrome
 Ear pain, tinnitus, impaired hearing, and dizziness from temporomandibular joint dysfunction
Councilman bodies
 In apoptosis, hepatocytes that round up to form shrunken, pyknotic, and intensely eosinophilic bodies
Courvoisier’s law
 Tumors that obstruct the common bile duct result in an enlarged bladder; obstructing stones do not, since the gallbladder is typically too scarred to allow enlargement; present in half of pancreatic CA
Cowden disease
 Some rare hereditary cancer on chr 10; associated with mutations in PTEN/MMAC1
Creutzfeld-Jakob disease
 Fatal transmissible disorder of the CNS characterized by rapidly progressive dementia and variable focal involvement of the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum, brainstem, and spinal cord, attributable to prions, characterized by myoclonus often induced by a startle, extrapyramidal signs, cerebellar signs; slowing and periodic complexes on EEG; 1 per 167,000 in U.S.; fatal within 1 year after onset of symptoms
cri du chat
 5p-, severe mental retardation, microcephaly, catlike cry, low birth weight, hypertelorism, low-set ears, and epicanthal folds
Crigler-Najjar syndrome
 Type I, no hepatic glucuronosyltransferase activity, kernicterus, requires liver transplantation; type II, moderate deficiency of glucuronosyltransferase, phenobarb induces activity
Cronkhite-Canada syndrome
 Diffuse GI hamartoma polyps (i.e., no cancer potential) associated with malabsorption/weight loss, diarrhea and loss of electrolytes/protein; signs include alopecia, nail atrophy, and skin pigmentation
Crouzon syndrome
 Craniosynostosis correlated in mutations with the extracellular domain of FGFR2
Cruveihiler-Baumgarten bruit
 Bruit heard over caput medusa in portal hypertension
Cullen’s sign
 A faintly blue coloration particularly of umbilicus as the result of retroperitoneal bleeding from any cause, but especially in ruptured ectopic pregnancy; also seen in acute pancreatitis (1-2%)
Curling’s ulcers
 Stress erosions and ulcers occurring in the proximal duodenum and associated with severe burns or trauma, from ischemia of the gastric mucosa
Curschmann’s spirals
 Spirally twisted masses of mucus plugs containing whirls of shed epithelium occurring in the sputum in bronchial asthma; Heinrich Curschmann, German physician, 1846-1910
Cushing reaction
 Increase in intracranial pressure cause compression of the cerebral blood vessels and cerebral ischemia, reaction of elevation in pressure with simultaneous reduction in heart rate, respiratory slowing
Cushing’s triad
 Signs of increased ICP 1. hypertension 2. bradycardia 3. irregular respirations
Cushing’s ulcer
 Acute ulcer of the stomach, proximal duodenum, or esophagus, frequently leads to hemorrhage or perforation, associated with intracranial injury or increases in intracranial pressure, associated with gastric acid hypersecretion

 

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Da Costa syndrome
 Neurocirculatory asthenia, pain localized typically to the cardiac apex and consists of dull, persistent ache that lasts for hours, etc.
Dalrymple sign
 Retraction of the upper eyelid in Grave’s disease, causing abnormal wideness of the palpebral fissure
Daltonism
 Color blindness, from John Dalton (who proposed atomic theory), born 1766; felt that color blindness was from vitreous humor being blue, disproved his assistant Joseph Ransome who examined his eyeballs post mortem
Dance’s sign
 Empty right lower quadrant in children with ileocecal intussusception
signe de Dance
 In intussusception, in the common enterocolic variety, almost from the beginning of the illness the right iliac fossa will appear empty on palpation due to the taking up of the cecum into the advancing invagination
Dandy-Walker syndrome
 Hydrocephalus resulting from failure of the foramina Luschka and Magendie to open; associated with an occipital meningocele and agenesis of the cerebellar vermis and splenium of the corpus callosum; associated with Warfarin use during pregnancy
Dane particle
 Mature HBV virion, 42 nm, double-layered, genome is double-stranded circular DNA, all regions of genome encode stuff
Darier’s sign
 In mastocytosis (urticaria pigmentosa), is positive when a brown macular or a slightly papular lesion becomes a palpable wheal after being vigorously rubbed with the blunt end of an instrument such as a pen; wheal may not appear for 5-10 minutes
Darkschewitsch, nucleus of
 An ovoid cell group in the ventral central gray substance rostral to the oculomotor nucleus, receiving fibers from the vestibular nuclei by way of the medial longitudinal fasciculus; projections are not known, although some cross in the posterior commissure
Dawson’s fingers
 In multiple scelrosis, perivascular demyelination creating the appearance of finger projections oriented transversely on an axial scan
de Musset’s sign
 In aortic regurgitation, head bobbing, named after 19th century French poet who had luetic aortic insufficiency
De Quervain’s disease
 A stenosing tenosynovitis of the thumb extensors and abductors
de Quervain’s thyroiditis
 Subacute granulomatous thyroiditis, viral etiology suspected
Dejerine-Roussy syndrome
 Thalamic lesions causing sensory loss, spontaneous pain, and perverted cutaneous sensation described in 1906
Dejerine-Sottas disease
 Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy III, recessive inheritance, slowly progressive demyelinating disorer, presents in infancy or childhood and progresses to cause severe disability by 30s; nerves typically enlarged
Dennie’s lines
 In atopic dermatitis, an accentuated line or fold below the margin of the lower eyelid
Devic’s disease
 demyelinating disorder common in Asians that presents as transverse myelitis associated with optic neuritis that is typiclaly bilateral
Di Guglielmo syndrome
 A non-nutritive megaloblastic anemia in which malignant red cell precursors are particularly evident
Diamond-Blackfan anemia
 Congenital pure red cell aplasia characterized by increased MCV, reticulocytopenia, bone marrow erythroblastopenia; can be diagnosed by increased erythrocyte adenosine deaminase; 40% associated with congenital abnormalities; associated with RPS19 ribosomal protein mutations in some; responds to steroids which increase Epo sensitivity
Dick test
 Injection of erythrogenic toxin of Strep. pyogenes, positive result in those lacking antitoxin
Dieulafoy’s aneurysm
 AV malformation of the stomach (around 6 cm from the gastroesophageal junction), an uncommon cause of massive GI bleeding, a large submucosal artery erodes the mucosa without any overlying ulceration or other obvious mucosal damage
DiGeorge syndrome
 Failure of 3rd and 4th pharyngeal pouches to differentiate into the thymus and parathyroid glands, facial abnormalities result primarily from abnormal development of the first arch components during formation of face and ears
dimple sign
 In dermatofibroma, lateral compression with thumb and index finger produces a depression, or "dimple."
Disse, space of
 Subendothelial space in liver separating endothelial cells from underdlying hepatocytes which contains hepatocyte microvilli
Döhle bodies
 Irregularly shaped greenish inclusions in neutrophil cytoplasm, consisting of ribosomes and/or rough ER and are seen in severe bacterial infections
Doi’s sign
 Elicitation of diminished deep tendon reflexes after maximal voluntary contraction in Lambert-Eton syndrome
Donath-Landsteiner antibody
 In paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria, an antibody associated with syphilis and viral infections, directed against the P antibody complex and can induce complement-mediated lysis; attacks precipitated by exposure to cold and are associated with hemoglobinemia and hemoglobinuria; chills and fever; back, leg, and abdominal pain; headache and malaise; recovery prompt; asymptomatic otherwise
Donovan bodies
 In Calymmatobacterium granulomatis or granuloma inguinale, bodies characterized by multiple organisms filling large histiocytes
Dressler’s syndrome
 Pericarditis, possible autoimmune etiology, found to develop 2 weeks to several months after acute MI
Druckrey relationship
 Relationship between carcinogen dose and tumor induction time: dtn = k where d is the dose of carcinogen, t is latency period, n is the slope of the double log [plot of carcinogen dose versus induction time, and k is a constant
Dubin-Johnson syndrome
 Mostly conjugated hyperbilirubinemia from defect in transport of bilirubin and other organic anions across the canaliculus; other liver function tests normal; accumulation of dark pigment in liver lysosomes
Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy
 X-linked, near or complete absence of dystrophin (normally stabilizes glycoprotein complex on cytoplasmic face of plasma membrane of muscle fibers and protects it from degradation), onset of weakness age 2-3, proximal weakness of limb muscles, Gower’s maneuver, pseudohypertrophy of calves caused by fatty infiltration, cardiomyopathy, frequently mental retardation, CK elevated, wheelchair bound by age of 12
dumping syndrome
 Delivery of a large amount of hyperosmolar chyme into the small bowel, usually after vagotomy and a gastric drainage procedure, results in autonomic instability, abdominal pain, and diarrhea
Dunphy sign
 Increased pain with coughing in appendicitis
Dupuytren’s contracture
 Palmar fibromatosis
Durant’s maneuver
 Left lateral decubitus position, used in managing air embolism
Duret hemorrhage
 Hemorrhage from uncal herniation
Duroziez’s sign
 In aortic regurgitation, systolic murmur heard over the femoral artery when it is compressed proximally and a diastolic murmur when it is compressed distally

 

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From Andrew Yee, Harvard Med '00