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| Finding | Description, Comments | Associated Disease(s) |
| Adie's Pupil | Similar to Argyll Robertson Pupil, except that accommodation is also impaired. May also see impaired deep tendon reflexes. | Adie's Syndrome |
| Angioid Streaks | FUNDUSCOPIC: Pigmented lines radiating outward from the optic disc | Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum |
| Angiokeratomas | Purplish, red papules, on lower abdomen, groin, or scrotum. | Fabry's Disease: Hereditary Glycolipid Lipidosis. |
| Arcus Senilis | Gray band of opacity around the cornea., a normal finding with aging. | |
| Argyll Robertson Pupils | No pupillary light reflex, but accommodation is intact. | Neurosyphilis |
| Argyll Robertson Pupil | (1) Weak or absent direct pupillary reflex, (2) Retained ability to accommodate for near vision, (3) Failed pupillary dilation after atropine administration. | Tabes Dorsalis (Neurosyphilis) |
| Arteriovenous (AV) Nicking | FUNDUSCOPIC: Arteriolar narrowing and compression of veins, where the arteries cross the veins. Due to sclerotic changes in both arteries and veins. | Hypertensive Retinopathy: Stage II |
| Babinski's Sign | Fanning of big toe when you stroke the plantar aspect of the foot | Pyramidal Tract Lesion |
| Blue-colored Sclerae | Thin collagen in sclera makes venous blood visible. | Osteogenesis Imperfecta |
| Borborygmi | Loud, high-pitched bowel sounds, often associated with rushes. | Small Bowel Obstruction |
| Boutonniere Deformity | Flexion contracture of PIP joints, plus hyperextension of DIP joint, as if one were pushing a button through a button hole. | Rheumatoid Arthritis |
| Braxton Hicks Contractions | Painless uterine contractions occurring after the 28th week. | Pregnancy |
| Brown-colored Sclera | May also be seen in normal black men. | Alkaptonuria |
| Brushfield Spots | Gray-white spots on iris. | Down's Syndrome |
| Buffalo Hump | Fatty deposit over C7 | Cushing's Syndrome |
| Bullous Myringitis | Bullous inflammation of the tympanic membrane, visible through the otoscope. | Mycoplasma Pneumonia |
| Café Au Lait Spots | Neurofibromas | Von Recklinghausen Disease: Neurofibromatosis Type I |
| Chaddock's Reflex | When the external malleolar skin area is irritated, extension of the great toe occurs. | Pyramidal Tract Lesion |
| Chadwick's Sign | Bluish or purple discolor of the vagina | Pregnancy |
| Cherry-Red Spot of Macula | FUNDUSCOPIC: Abnormally dim retinal background, with redness on macula. | Tay-Sach's Disease, Retinal Artery Occlusion |
| Cheyne-Stokes Respiration | Cyclic alternations between apnea and hyperpnea, in which PCO2 fluctuates and is unstable. It occurs when the respiratory centers of the brain become insensitive to changes in CO2. | Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Also Uremia, Meningitis, Pneumonia |
| Chvostek's Sign | Tap over facial nerve anterior to ear, and look for contraction of the facial muscles, especially shutting of eyes. | Tetany |
| Circinate Balanus | Circular rash around penis | Reiter's Syndrome |
| Clubbing | Characteristic down-turning of fingernails | Central Cyanosis from any cause, Infective Endocarditis |
| Copper wiring | FUNDUSCOPIC: Blood may appear orange rather than red, due to arteriolar narrowing. | Hypertensive Retinopathy |
| Corneal Arcus (Arcus Senilis) | Opaque grayish ring around cornea resulting from fatty deposits | Atherosclerosis in young people; may be normal finding in old people. |
| Corrigan's Pulse | Collapsing Pulse, or a brisk pule with large volume | Aortic Insufficiency |
| Cotton Wool Exudates | FUNDUSCOPIC: Soft exudates caused by ischemia to nerve-fiber layers. | Hypertensive Retinopathy: Stage III |
| Dot Hemorrhages | FUNDUSCOPIC: Hemorrhage appearance characteristic of diabetes. | Diabetic Retinopathy |
| Dowager's Hump | Kyphosis of thoracic spine, from vertebral micro-fractures. | Osteoporosis |
| Duroziez Murmur | Bruit heard over the femoral artery, during both systole and diastole. Should be heard coincident with Corrigan's Pulse. | Aortic Insufficiency |
| Erythema Marginatum | Large erythematous patches with jagged edges and central clearing. One of the Major Jones Criteria. | Rheumatic Fever |
| Exophthalmos | Bulging eyes. | Grave's Disease. Also -- Acromegaly, Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis. |
| Fasciculations | Muscle twitching due to spontaneous repetitive firing of motor nerves. It can occur normally in the cold. | Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or other upper motor demyelinating diseases |
| Flail Chest | One side of the chest moves paradoxically relative to the other side. Caused by multiple rib fractures. | Injury: Rib fractures |
| Flame-shaped hemorrhages | FUNDUSCOPIC: Hemorrhage appearance characteristic of hypertension. | Hypertensive Retinopathy |
| Gibbus Deformity | Sharp change of angle of spine, instead of gradual change of angle | Pott's Disease: Tuberculous Spondylitis. |
| Goodell's Sign | Bluish discoloration plus softening of the cervix | Pregnancy |
| Grasp Reflex | Stroke the patient's palm, causing him to grasp your fingers. A positive test occurs when the patient does not let go of your fingers. | Frontal Lobe Lesion: A primitive reflex. |
| Grey Turner's Sign | Ecchymoses on the abdomen | Fulminant Acute Pancreatitis, carrying a grave prognosis. |
| Hamman's Sign | Crunching, crackling sound over chest heard synchronous with the heart beat. | Mediastinal Emphysema: Air in mediastinum, after thoracic surgery or trauma. Rare cause: Esophageal rupture (Boerhaave's Syndrome) |
| Heberden's Nodes | Bone spurs appearing over DIP joints, on the dorsum of the finger. | Osteoarthritis |
| Hoffman's Sign | Nipping nail of middle finger causes flexion of terminal phalanx of thumb, unilaterally. | Pyramidal Tract Lesion |
| Hoffman's Sign | Flick the terminal phalanx of a finger ------> flexion of the terminal phalanges of thumb, first, and/or second fingers. | Pyramidal Tract Disease: Only when the finding is unilateral. If the finding is bilateral then the meaning is uncertain. |
| Hutchinson's Triad | Classical triad of Interstitial Keratitis, Deafness, Notched Teeth | Congenital Syphilis in the newborn |
| Impaired Convergence | Inability to normally focus and look inward for extreme near vision. | Grave's Disease |
| Janeway Lesions | Non-tender, raised erythematous nodules on the palms. | Vasculitis |
| Keratoderma Blennorrhagia | Rash on the palms and soles | Reiter's Syndrome |
| Koplik's Spots | White spots on the buccal mucosa | Measles |
| Kussmaul Respirations | Extreme centrally activated hyperventilation (respiratory alkalosis) | Diabetic Ketoacidosis |
| Kussmaul's Sign | Upon inspiration, finding of an increase in central venous pressure (CVP), rather than a decreased CVP as expected. | Pericardial Effusion is restricting flow to the right ventricle. |
| Lentigines | Small brown freckle-like lesions on neck and trunk, not increased by sun-exposure. | Pulmonic Stenosis, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy |
| Leukorrhea | Clear or white vaginal discharge with faint musty odor. | Pregnancy, other circumstances too |
| Lid Lag | Evidence of white sclerae between the iris and the upper eyelid, which is normally not present unless the patient actively stares. | Grave's Disease |
| Macroglossia | Having an enlarged tongue | Acromegaly, amyloidosis |
| Malar (Butterfly) Rash | Characteristic rash on cheeks, made worse by UV-light exposure. | Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) |
| Marcus Gunn Pupil | Pupil dilates rather than constricts when light swings toward it. | Retinopathy: Indicates either severe macular or optic nerve disease in the affected eye. |
| Miosis | Constricted pupils | Horner's Syndrome, Opiate Overdose |
| Moon Facies | Fatty deposits over cheek, thin skin. | Cushing's Syndrome |
| Murphy's Sign | RUQ pain aggravated by inspiration. | Acute Cholecystitis |
| Neovascularization | FUNDUSCOPIC: Formation of excess vessels, occurring in response to retinal hypoxia. | Diabetic Retinopathy: Proliferative Retinopathy |
| Oppenheim's Sign | Scratch inner side of leg ------> extension of toes. | Cerebral Irritation |
| Osler's Nodes | Tender erythematous nodules on the distal finger-pads. | Infective Endocarditis |
| Palmomental Reflex | Rub the thenar eminence ------> elicit reflexive contraction of the muscles of the chin. | Frontal Lobe Lesion: A primitive reflex. |
| Pectus Excavatum
(Funnel-Chest) |
Sternum curved inward. | Rickets, Marfan Syndrome |
| Pectus Carinatum
(Pigeon Chest) |
Increased anteroposterior length of chest. Ribs bowed outward. | Rickets, Marfan Syndrome |
| Petechiae | Capillary hemorrhages | Endocarditis: Conjunctival petechiae are seen. |
| Pingueculae | Small, yellowish elevations of the conjunctivae. It is caused by hyaline degeneration of conjunctival tissue. | Gaucher's Disease: Will see brownish discoloration of Pingueculae |
| Pseudomembrane | Whitish, dirty-brown membrane over the tonsils. | Diphtheria |
| Ptosis | Droopy eyelids. Failure of levator palpebrae muscle to hold up eyelids (innervated by CN III) | Horner's Syndrome, Myasthenia Gravis, Encephalitis |
| Pulsus Bisferiens
(Bifid Pulse) |
Two distinct impulses with each heartbeat. | Aortic Insufficiency, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy |
| Pulsus Paradoxus | Upon inspiration, weakening of the arterial pulse by more than expected. Normal decrease in systolic pressure should be 10 mm Hg or less. | Constrictive Pericarditis, Pericardial Effusion, or some other constrictive cardiac condition. |
| Pulsus Alterans | One pulse feels large, the next pulse feels small. | Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), poor myocardial contractility. Carries a poor prognosis. |
| Quincke's Pulse | Visible capillary pulsations in the nail-bed. | Aortic Insufficiency |
| Rhonchus | On auscultation, snoring sound heard over lungs. | Asthma |
| Romberg Test | Patient can't maintain balance with legs tight together, with eyes closed. | Cerebellar Disease |
| Roth's Spots | FUNDUSCOPIC: Retinal hemorrhages with pale or white centers. | Infective Endocarditis, Collagen Diseases, Dysproteinemias, Leukemia. Pernicious Anemia |
| Sausage-shaped fingers | Swelling of the tendon sheath | Psoriatic Arthritis, Reiter's Syndrome |
| Simian Crease | Single large horizontal crease on palms. | Down's Syndrome |
| Strawberry Tongue | Erythematous tongue | Scarlet Fever |
| Striae | Red and blue abdominal stretch marks, due to central fat deposits plus thinning skin. | Cushing's Syndrome |
| Subcutaneous Nodules | Granulomatous nodules found over elbows, skull, or spine. Often associated with cardiac involvement. One of the Major Jones Criteria. | Rheumatic Fever |
| Succussion Splash | Sounds of gastric activity, normally heard after a large meal. | Pyloric Obstruction: Succussion splash heard after 24 hours of fasting is indicative of pyloric obstruction. |
| Suck Reflex | Gently tap or rub the upper lift ------> elicit a reflexive sucking or puckering response. | Frontal Lobe Lesion: A primitive reflex. |
| Swan Neck Deformity | Hyperextended PIP joints, plus flexed DIP joints, resulting from subluxation of joints. | Rheumatoid Arthritis |
| Tinel's Sign | Tingling shots of pain over median nerve upon percussion of the wrist. | Carpel Tunnel Syndrome |
| Titubation | Body tremor when standing or walking. | Cerebellar Disease |
| Tophi | Nodules of urate deposits, can be found anywhere, but usually near joints. | Gout |
| Trousseau's Sign | Inflate a blood-pressure cuff to systolic pressure and maintain for 1-2 minutes. Look for induction of carpal spasm. | Tetany |
| Ulnar Deviation | Deviation of fingers or enter wrist toward ulnar (medial) side. | Rheumatoid Arthritis |
| Waxy Exudates | FUNDUSCOPIC: Hard lipid-exudates on retina | Diabetic Retinopathy: Background Retinopathy |
| Wheeze | On expiration, squeaking high pitched sound, often audible to unaided ear | Asthma, Emphysema, COPD |
| Xanthelasma | Yellow, flat lipid-containing lesions around the eyes. | Hyperlipidemias |