Clinical Eponyms
G-H

 

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

Gaisböck’s syndrome
 Stress polycythemia, combination of modest elevation in hematocrit and normal red cell mass; unknown etiology, seen in hard-driving middle-aged males, usually smokers, who in addition tend to be overweight and hypertensive
Galeazzi fracture
 Fracture of the radius at the junction of the middle and distal thirds accompanied by disruption of the distal radioulnar joint
Galen, great vein of
 Great cerebral vein
Gallavardin effect
 Midsystolic murmur of AS may be well transmitted to the apex, especially in older patients where it becomes harsh and slightly higher pitched, the so-called Gallavardin effect
Gallivardin’s phenomenon
 Systolic ejection murmur in aortic stenosis best heard in aortic area, often disappears over sternum, reappears in apical area, mimicking mitral regurgitation
Gandy-Gamna nodules
 In congestive splenomegaly, organization of focal hemorrhages giving rise to foci of fibrosis containing deposits of iron and calcium salts encrusted on connective tissue and elastic fibers
Gardner’s syndrome
 Familial adenomatous polyposis (now realized all patients with FAP have extraintestinal manifestations), exhibiting intestinal polyps identical to those in FAP combined with 1. sebaceous cysts, 2. osteomas (particularly of the mandible, skull, and long bones), 3. desmoid tumors; mutation in adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene in 5q
Gardos channel
 Potassium-selective channel controlled by cytosolic calcium concentrations, one of two channels involved in red cell shrinkage playing a role in sickling; local tissue acidosis and deoxygenation-induced influx of calcium activate the Gardos channel resulting in shrinkage; clotrimazole potent blocker of this channel
Garr, sclerosing osteomyelitis of
 Typically develops in the jaw, associated with extensive new bone formation that obscures much of the underlying osseous structure
gastrinoma triangle
 A triangle where more than 90% of extrapancreatic gastrinomas are located bordered by 1. Third portion of duodenum, 2. Cystic duct, 3. Pancreatic neck
Gaucher’s disease
 AR, mutations in glucocerebrosidase gene on 1q21, enzyme cleaves glucose residue from ceramide; type I, chronic non-neuronopathic form, splenic and skeletal involvement
Gerota’s fascia
 Fascia surrounding the kidney
Geraldi, fossa of
 Name of the fossa between the testicle and epididymus
Gerhard’s sign
 In aortic regurgitation, pulsation of the spleen in the presence of splenomegaly
Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome
 Slow central nervous system disease, hereditary as well as transmissible prion disease with same mutation, point mutation in codon 102 of prion protein as CJD; characterized by cerebellar dysfunction with multiple plaques
Ghon lesion
 Primary area of tuberculosis infection
Gibbs-Donnan equilibrium
 In RBCs, bicarbonate ions diffusing out and chloride diffusing in
Gilbert’s syndrome
 With the exception of hemolytic anemias, most common cause of mild unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia from mild decrease glucuronosyltransferase activity, responds to phenobarbital, affects up to 7% of population
Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia
 Gp IIb/IIIa receptor for fibrinogen missing
Glauber’s salt
 Sodium sulfate, laxative
Gleason score
 Prostate cancers stratified into 5 grades on basis of glandular patterns and degree of differentiation; grade 1 most differentiated and grade 5 no glandular differentiation; two grades added together for score; therefore most differentiated tumor score of 2
Glisson's capsule
 Liver capsule
glycogen storage diseases
 Type I, von Gierke’s disease type II, Pompe’s disease type III, Cori’s disease type V, McAdle’s syndrome
Goetz sign
 In PDA, jet of unopacified blood from aorta into opacified blood of pulmonary artery
Goldie-Coldman hypothesis
 Malignant cells likely to acquire spontaneous resistance to cytotoxic drugs as they progressively grow and divide, even without any exposure to those drugs
Goodpasture’s syndrome
 Glomerulonephritis characterized by linear deposits of antibody along the glomerular basement membrane, antibodies interact with alveolar wall, leads to pulmonary hemorrhage and pulmonary fibrosis; Goodpasture antigen, resides in the noncollagenous portion of the alpha 3 chain of collagen type IV; high prevalence of DRW15/DQW6
Goodsall’s rule
 Anal fistulae course in a straight path anteriorly and take a curved path posteriorly
Gordon maneuver
 A firm squeeze given to the calf muscles to elicit an upgoing plantar reflex if the patient pulls away during the Babniski maneuver
Gordon’s syndrome
 Type 2 pseudohypoaldosteronism associated with volume expansion, hypertension, and otherwise normal renal function; felt be to be due to enhanced distal chloride reabsorption
Gorham-Stout disease
 Vanishing or disappearing bone disease; IL-6 has pathogenetic role
Gottron’s papules
 Violaceous papules over knuckle prominences found in dermatomyositis
Gower, hemoglobin
 Embryonic, primitive hemoglobin. Gower 1, zeta2 episilon2,; Gower 2, alpha2 epsilon2
Gower’s maneuver
 Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, patient using hands to help himself get up
Graves’s disease
 Hyperthyroidism with diffuse goiter, ophthalmopathy, dermopathy from thyroid-stimulating Ig
Greig cephalopolydactyly syndrome
 Rare autosomal dominant developmental disorder characterized by craniofacial abnormalities and post-axial and pre-axial polydactyly as well as syndactyly of hands and feet from mutation in GLI3
Grey Turner’s sign
 Local areas of discoloration about the umbilicus and particularly in the region of the *loins*, in acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis (1-2%) and other causes of retroperitoneal hemorrhage
Griffith’s sign
 In thyrotoxicosis, lag of the lower lids during elevation of the globes
Grotton’s lesions
 In dermatomyositis, scaling erythematous eruption or dark red patches over the knuckles, elbows, knees
Gunn’s sign
 Tapering of veins on either side of AV crossing in hypertensive retinopathy (grade 3); c.f. Salus’s sign and Bonnet’s sign
Gunther’s disease
 AR congenital erythropoietic porphyria from decreased URO synthase activity, hemolytic anemia, cutaneous lesions
Guthrie test
 For dx of PKU, a bacterial assay for phenylalanine

 

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Hageman factor
 Factor XII
Hailey-Hailey disease
 Benign familial chronic pemphigus
Haldane effect
 Deoxygenated hemoglobin having a greater affinity for CO2 than oxygenated hemoglobin
Hallervorden-Spatz disease
 Autosomal recessive juvenile-onset generalized neuroaxonal dystrophy characterized by progressive movement alterations such as dystonia, tardive dyskinesia, rigidity, choreoathetosis, pyramidal signs, and mental retardation
Ham’s test
 For diagnosing paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, uses increased sensitivity of PNH-affected RBCs to lysis by complement; introduced in late 1930’s
Hamman’s sign
 Mediastinal crunch is a series of precordial crackles synchronous with the heart beat, not with respiration. Best heard in the left lateral position, it is due to mediastinal emphysema (pseudomediastinum), seen with Boerhaave’s syndrome
Hamman-Rich syndrome
 Acute interstitial pneumonia, a rare fulminant form of lung injury that presents acutely (days to weeks from onset of symptoms), most commonly occurs in previously healthy individual, characterized by a temporally uniform lesion which reflects an episode of acute lung injury at a single point in time (different from usual interstitial pneumonia where lesions are different age); path shows diffuse alveolar damage (a nonspecific reaction pattern)
Hampton’s hump
 Pulmonary infarction is classically described as wedge-shaped infiltrate that abuts the pleura; often associated with a small pleura effusion that is usually exudative and may be hemorrhagic; not specific
Hampton’s line
 Radiolucent collar of granulation tissue across the base of an ulcer
Hand-Schüller-Christian triad
 In multifocal Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis, triad of calvarial bone defects, diabetes insipidus, and exophthalmos
hangman’s fracture
 Fracture of pars interarticularis of C2, hyperextension injury
Hannington-Kiff sign
 Ipsilateral loss of the adductor reflex with preservation of patellar reflex in strangulated obturator hernia
Hansen’s stain
 Special stain used to detect eosinophiluria on the urine sediment
Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium
 p^2 + 2pq + q^2 for describing the frequency of these genotypes; sexual reproduction doesn’t cause a constant reduction in genetic variation in each generation but remains constant
Harrison’s groove
 During active rickets, the protuberant rachitic abdomen pushes the plastic lower ribs outward on a fulcrum formed by the costal attachments of the diaphragm; the line of bending forms a groove or sulcus in the rib cage
Hartman’s procedure
 Proximal colostomy followed by stapled-off colon or rectum that is left in the peritoneal cavity
Hartnup disease
 An autosomal recessive disorder in which there is a reduction of small-intestinal and renal transport of certain neutral amino acids, including (trp, a precursor of niacin), causing elevated amino acid excretion in urine and feces
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
 First described in 1920, goitrous chronic autoimmune thyroiditis; in areas with sufficient iodine, elevated TSH is often viewed as evidence of chronic autoimmune thyroiditis as well as antithyroid antibodies; antithyroglobulin antibodies in 60% of patients and antithyroid microsomal antibodies in 95%
Hatchcock’s sign
 Upward pressure applied to the angle of the mandible (ramus) produces tenderness with mumps but no tenderness with adenitis
Hawthorne effect
 The effect (usually positive or beneficial) of being under study, upon the persons being studied; their knowledge of the study often influences behavior [city in Illinois; site of the Western Electric plant]
Heberden’s nodes
 Characteristic in women, but not in men, represent prominent osteophytes at the distal interphalangeal joints in OA (enlargements of tubercles at the articular extremities of the distal phalanges
Heerfordt-Waldenström syndrome
 Sarcoidosis associated with fever, parotid enlargement, anterior uveitis, and facial nerve palsy
Heineke-Mukulicz pyloroplasty
 Longitudinal incision through all layers of the pylorus, sewed closed in a transverse direction to make the pylorus nonfunctional (used after truncal vagotomy)
Heinz bodies
 Seen in unstable hemoglobin and oxidant stress; precipitates of denatured hemoglobin on red blood cells; *only visible* when blood is supravital stained (crystal violet); not seen on routine blood smears
Heister, spiral valves of
 Found in the neck of the gallbladder, where tiny folds of mucosal epithelium coalesce to form these valves, may assist in retaining bile between meals
hemoglobin Bart’s
 Four gamma-globin chains, seen in hydrops fetalis (alpha thalassemia), very high oxygen affinity
hemoglobin Gower
 Embryonic, primitive hemoglobin. Gower 1, zeta2 episilon2,; Gower 2, alpha2 epsilon2
hemoglobin Lepore
 No beta chain; delta chain by delta-beta hybrid
hemoglobin Portland
 Z 2 gamma 2, primitive embryonic hemoglobin
Henoch-Schönlein purpura
 Systemic hypersensitivity disease of unknown cause characterized by purpuric rash, colicky abdominal pain (presumably due to focal hemorrhages into the GI tract), polyarthralgia, and acute glomerulonephritis; may result from deposition of circulating immune complexes within stuff; hypersensitivity purpura, etiology group A streptococci
Hering, canals of
 At the fringes of the portal tract, from the joining of bile canaliculi
Hering’s nerve
 Carotid sinus nerve, CN IX, carries information to the vasomotor center in the brainstem
Hering-Breuer reflex
 Stretch receptor (in smooth muscle of airways) reflex, responsible for apnea, i.e. decreased breathing frequency, as a result of lung inflation
Herlitz syndrome
 Epidermolysis bullosa lethalis; mutation that prevents the folding of laminin 5 Gillis Herlitz, Swedish pediatrician, born 1902
Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome
 Characterized by oculocutaneous albinism, a platelet storage pool deficiency, and ceroid lipofuscinosis from defects of multiple cytoplasmic organelles: melanosomes, platelet dense granules and lysosomes.
Herring bodies
 Neurosecretory granules consisting of either vasopressin or oxytocin in neurohypophysis
Hesselbach’s triangle
 Where direct inguinal hernias occur, bound by the inguinal ligament, inferior epigastric a., and rectus abdominus muscle
Hill’s sign
 In aortic regurgitation, refers to popliteal cuff systolic pressure exceeding brachial cuff pressure by more than 60 mm Hg
Hippocratica, facies
 The mask of death following peritonitis, i.e. as a result of vomiting and depressed circulation, the face becomes pinched and anxious, the cheeks hollow, and the eyes dim and beringed with dark circles
Hippocratic fingers
 Clubbing
Hirano bodies
 In Alzheimer’s, intracytoplasmic proximal dendritic eosinophilic inclusions consisting of actin
Hirschprung’s disease
 Megacolon; congenital disorder characterized by colonic dilatation proximal to an aganglionic, contracted distal colon and rectum; caused by gestational failure of neural crest cells to migrate to distal colon; an AD form has been reported with mutations of the RET gene, and an AR form with mutation of the endothelin-B-receptor gene
Hodgkin’s disease
 Lymphoma characterized by arising in a single node or chain of nodes, spreading in anatomically contiguous nodes, Reed-Sternberg cells, three subtypes (nodular sclerosis (most common, more common in women), mixed cellularity, lymphocyte predominance (lymphocyte depletion rarer))
Hoffman sign
 Thumb adduction in response to flexion of the distal phalanx of the third digit, an example of abnormal upper limb reflex caused by *damage to the descending cortical fibers*
Hollenhorst plaques
 Cholesterol emboli visible as small bright flecks lodged in arterial bifurcations in retina
Holmes-Adie syndrome
 Adie’s pupil, frequently affects young women, benign familial disorder that may be associated with depressed DTRs (especially in legs), segmental anhidrosis, orthostatic hypotension, or cardiovascular autonomic instability, may be caused by degeneration of ciliary ganglion, followed by aberrant reinnervation of the pupilloconstrictor muscles
Holt-Oram syndrome
 AD syndrome, dysplasia of the upper limbs and atrial septal defect, reduction anomalies of the upper limbs, heart hand syndrome from mutation in TBX5
Homan’s sign
 Deep thrombi in the larger outflow veins, causing edema of the foot and ankle and producing pain and tenderness on compression of the calf muscles (by either squeezing the calf muscles or forced dorsiflexion of the foot)
honeymooner’s palsy
 Radial nerve palsy from compression of nerve between middle third of the humerus between the brachoradialis and forearm extensor muscles
Hoover’s sign
 A modification in the movement of the costal margins during respiration, caused by a flattening of the diaphragm; suggestive of empyema or other intrathoracic condition causing a change in the contour of the diaphragm
Horner’s syndrome
 Enophthalmos, ptosis, miosis, and anhidrosis, unilateral; small (miotic) pupil associated with mild ptosis (of the upper lid, not as pronounced as with oculomotor lesions) and sometimes loss of sweating (anhidrosis); if present since infancy, the ipsilateral iris is lighter and blue (heterochromia iridis); topical 4% cocaine will dilate normal pupil but not a desympathectomized pupil
Houndsfield unit
 Scale named after inventor of CT, water 0 H, -1024 for air to 3000-4000 H for bone, relative scale
Howell-Jolly body
 In asplenia or malfunctional spleen, *nuclear remnants* on red blood cells as small, round, darkly-stained nuclear fragments; no special stains necessary; may be seen in 30-50% of adults but not in children with untreated celiac sprue
Howship’s lacunae
 Resorption pits on bone formed by osteoclasts
Howship-Romberg sign
 Pain along the inner aspect of the thigh; seen with an obturator hernia due to nerve compression
Hurler’s syndrome
 AR mucopolysaccharidosis that is caused by deficiency of alpha-L-uronidase, with consequent accumulations of the mucopolysaccharides heparan sulfate and dermatan sulfate in the heart, brain, liver, and other organs; progressive deterioration, hepatosplenomegaly, dwarfism, gargoyle-like facies, stubby fingers, corneal clouding, progressive mental retardation, and death by age 10
Hürthle cells
 In Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, deeply stained colloid or clusters of these oncocytes having an abundant, brightly eosinophilic granular cytoplasm, thought to represent a degenerated state of the follicular epithelium
Hutchinson freckle
 Lentigo maligna, a nonfamilial precursor to lentigo maligna melanoma
Hutchinson pupil
 Blown third pupil in uncal herniation
Hutchinson’s teeth
 Smaller and more widely spaced than normal and are notched on their biting surfaces; sign of congenital syphilis
Hutchinson-Guilford syndrome
 aka progeria - a condition in which the normal development of the first year is followed by gross retardation of growth, with a senile appearance characterized by dry wrinkled skin, total alopecia, and bird-like facies; genetics unclear

 

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From Andrew Yee, Harvard Med '00