Abdominal Physical Signs of Inspection and Medical Eponyms

BACKGROUND

An eponym in clinical medicine is an honorific term ascribed to a person(s) who may have initially discovered or described a device, procedure, anatomical part, treatment, disease, symptom, syndrome, or sign found on physical examination. Signs, although often lacking sufficient sensitivity and specificity, assist in some cases to differentiate and diagnose disease. With the advent of advanced technological tools in radiological imaging and diagnostic testing, the importance of inspection, the initial steps taught during the physical examination, is often overlooked or given only cursory attention. Nevertheless, in the era of evidence-based and cost-effective medicine, it becomes compelling, and we contend that a meticulously performed history and physical examination, applying the basic tenets of inspection, remains paramount prior to obtaining appropriate diagnostic tests.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Medline, online Internet word searches and bibliographies from source text and textbooks. PubMed was searched using the Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) of the name of the eponyms and text words associated with the sign.

CONCLUSIONS

We describe the historical aspect, clinical application, and performance of medical eponymous signs of inspection found on physical examination during the 18th to 20th centuries.

Abdominal Physical Signs and Medical Eponyms: Part III. Physical Examination of Palpation, 1926-1976

BACKGROUND

This paper describes medical eponyms associated with abdominal palpation from the period 1926-1976. Despite opposition by some, eponyms are a long standing tradition and widely used in medicine. The techniques may still be useful in some cases, assisting in the selection of an appropriate and cost-effective approach to patient care. In this piece, we cover signs named in honor of physicians who contributed to medicine by developing new palpatory techniques in an attempt to better diagnose disease of the abdominal wall, umbilicus, gallbladder, pancreas, and appendix.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Medline, online Internet word searches, textbooks, and references from other source texts. PubMed was searched using the Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) of the name of the eponyms and text words associated with the sign.

CONCLUSION

We describe brief historical background information about the physician who reported the sign, original description of the sign, and its clinical application and implication into today's medical practice.

The acute abdomen and Murphy's signs

The history of the acute abdomen describes a shift from emphasis on prognosis to treatment through correlation of clinical and pathological findings. John B. Murphy was an acclaimed leader of American surgery whose name is associated with several diagnostic maneuvers used in the evaluation of the acute abdomen. These include deep-grip palpation used in examination for suspected biliary disease.

Sir Zachary Cope

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