Question | Answer |
Albumino-Cytologic Dissociation | Guillain-Barre (markedly increased protein in CSF with only modest increase in cell count) |
Antiplatelet Antibodies | Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura |
Arachnodactyly | Marfan’s |
Aschoff Bodies | Rheumatic fever |
Auer Rods | Acute promyelocytic leukemia (AML type M3) |
Autosplenectomy | Sickle cell anemia: switch a glu val in chain; Low O2 sickling; Aplastic crisis w/ B19 (Parvovirus ssDNA) infection; Salmonella osteomyelitis; Vaso-occlusive painful crisises; Hydroxyurea as Txt ( HbF) & Bone marrow transplant |
Babinski | UMN lesion |
Basophilic Stippling of RBCs | Lead poisoning |
Bence Jones Protein | Multiple myeloma free light chains (either kappa or lambda); Waldenstrom’s macroglobinemia |
Birbeck Granules | Histiocytosis X (eosinophilic granuloma) |
Blue Bloater | Chronic Bronchitis (at least 3 months for at least 2 years of ecessive mucus secretion & chronic recurrent productive cough) |
Boot-Shaped Heart | Tetralogy of Fallot |
Bouchard’s Nodes | Osteoarthritis (proximal IP joint of the fingers) |
Boutonniere’s Deformity | Rheumatoid arthritis flex proximal & extend distal IP joints |
Brown Tumor | Hyperparathyroidism |
Brushfield Spots | Down’s |
Call-Exner Bodies | Granulosa cell tumor: associated w/ endometrial hyperplasia & carcinoma ; Granuloma-Theca cell tumor |
Cardiomegaly with Apical Atrophy | Chagas’ Disease |
Chancre | 1* Syphilis |
Chancroid | Haemophilus ducreyi |
Charcot Triad | Multiple sclerosis = nystagmus, intention tremor, scanning speech |
Charcot-Leyden Crystals | Bronchial asthma |
Cheyne-Stokes Breathing | Cerebral lesion |
Chocolate Cysts | Endometriosis |
Chvostek’s Sign | Hypocalcemia facial spasm in tetany |
Clue Cells | Gardnerella vaginitis |
Codman’s Triangle | Osteosarcoma |
Cold Agglutinins | Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Infectious mononucleosis |
Condyloma Lata | 2* Syphilis; New coffee flavor at Bagel & Bagel |
Cotton Wool Spots | HTN; Aka, cytoid bodies seen w/ SLE (yellowish cotton wool fundal lesions) |
Councilman Bodies | Dying hepatocytes – HepB |
Crescents In Bowman’s Capsule | Rapidly progressive (crescentic glomerulonephritis) |
Currant-Jelly Sputum | Klebsiella |
Curschmann’s Spirals | Bronchial asthma |
Depigmentation Of Substantia Nigra | Parkinson’s |
Donovan Bodies | Granuloma inguinale (STD) |
Eburnation | Osteoarthritis (polished, ivory-like appearance of bone) |
Ectopia Lentis | Marfan’s |
Erythema Chronicum Migrans | Lyme Disease |
Fatty Liver | Alcoholism |
Ferruginous Bodies | Asbestosis - & Iron laden |
Ghon Focus / Complex | Tuberculosis (1* & 2*, respectively) |
Glitter Cells | Acute Pyelonephritis |
Gower’s Maneuver | Duchenne’s MD use of arms to stand |
Heberden’s Nodes | Osteoarthritis (distal IP joint of the fingers) |
Heinz Bodies | G6PDH Deficiency |
Heterophil Antibodies | Infectious mononucleosis (EBV) |
Hirano Bodies | Alzheimer’s |
Hypersegmented PMNs | Megaloblastic anemia |
Hypochromic Microcytic RBCs | Iron-deficiency anemia or Thalassemia |
Jarisch-Herxheimer Reaction | Syphilis over-aggressive treatment of an asymptomatic pt. that causes symptoms 2 to rapid lysis |
Joint Mice | Osteoarthritis (fractured osteophytes) |
Kaussmaul Breathing | Acidosis / Diabetic Ketoacidosis |
Keratin Pearls | Squamous Cell CA of skin (Actinic Keratosis is a precursor) |
Keyser-Fleischer Ring | Wilson’s |
Kimmelstiel-Wilson Nodules | Diabetic nephropathy: Nodular Glomerulosclerosis nodules of mesangial matrix |
Koilocytes | HPV 6 & 11 (condyloma acuminatum - benign) and HPV 16 & 18 (malignant association) |
Koplik Spots | Measles |
Lewy Bodies | Parkinson’s (eosinophilic inclusions in damaged substantia nigra cells) |
Lines of Zahn | Arterial thrombus |
Lisch Nodules | Neurofibromatosis (von Recklinhausen’s disease) = pigmented iris hamartomas |
Lumpy-Bumpy IF Glomeruli | Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis – prototype of nephritic syndrome |
Mallory Bodies | Alcoholic hepatitis |
McBurney’s Sign | Appendicitis (McBurney’s Point is 2/3 of the way from the umbilicus to anterior superior iliac spine) |
Michealis-Gutmann Bodies | Malakoplakia - lesion on bladder due to macros & calcospherites (M-G Bodies): usually due to E. Coli |
Monoclonal Antibody Spike | Multiple myeloma this is called the M protein (usually IgG or IgA); MGUS |
Myxedema | Hypothyroidism |
Negri Bodies | Rabies |
Neuritic Plaques | Alzheimer’s |
Neurofibrillary Tangles | Alzheimer’s |
Non-pitting Edema | Myxedema; Anthrax Toxin |
Notching of Ribs | Coarctation of Aorta |
Nutmeg Liver | CHF = causing congested liver |
Owls Eye Cells | CMV ; Reed Sternburg Cells (Hodkins Lymphoma); Aschoff cells seen w/ Rheumatic Fever |
Painless Jaundice | Pancreatic CA (head) |
Pannus | Rheumatoid arthritis, also see morning stiffnes that w/ joint use, HLA-DR4 |
Pautrier’s Microabscesses | Mycosis fungoides (cutaneous T-cell lymphoma), Sezary |
Philadelphia Chromosome | CML |
Pick Bodies | Pick’s Disease |
2 types of COPD | Pink Puffer – Type A: Emphysema; Blue Bloater – Type B: Bronchitis; Emphysema Centroacinar – smoking Panacinar - 1-antitrypsin deficiency |
Podagra | Gout (MP joint of hallux) |
Port-Wine Stain | Hemangioma |
Posterior Anterior Drawer Sign | Tearing of the ACL |
Psammoma Bodies | Papillary adenocarcinoma of the thyroid; Serous papillary cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary; Meningioma; Mesothelioma |
Pseudohypertrophy | Seen w/ Duchenne muscular dystrophy @ the claf muscles, due to fat |
Punched-Out Bone Lesions | Multiple myeloma |
Rash on Palms & Soles | 2 Syphilis; RMSF; Coxsackie virus infection: Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease |
Red Morning Urine | Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. You would use Ham’s test to confirm. |
Reed-Sternberg Cells | Hodgkin’s Disease |
Reid Index Increased | Chronic bronchitis = d ratio of bronchial gland to bronchial wall thickness |
Reinke Crystals | Leydig cell tumor |
Rouleaux Formation | Multiple myeloma RBC’s stacked as poker chips |
S3 Heart Sound | LR Shunt (VSD, PDA, ASD); Mitral Regurg; LV Failure |
S4 Heart Sound | Pulmonary Stenosis; Pulmonary HTN |
Schwartzman Reaction | Neisseria meningitidis (impressive rash with bugs) |
Smith Antigen | SLE (also anti-dsDNA) ; Malar Rash, Wire loop kidney lesions, Joint pain, False (+) syphilis test (VDRL) ; 90% 14-45 yo females; Also seen w/ use of INH; Procainamide; Hydralazine = SLE-like syndrome |
Soap Bubble on X-Ray | Giant cell tumor of bone |
Spike & Dome Glomeruli | Membranous glomerulonephritis = Nephrotic syndrome |
Spike = basement membrane material & Dome = immune complex deposits (IgG orC3) | |
String Sign on X-ray | Crohn’s - bowel wall thickening |
Target Cells | Thalassemia in Thalassemia w/ no gene: Hydrops Fetalis & Intrauterine death associations = HbBarts |
Tendinous Xanthomas | Familial Hypercholesterolemia |
Thyroidization of Kidney | Chronic pyelonephritis |
Tophi | Gout |
Tram-Track Glomeruli | Membranoproliferative GN: Nephritic syndrome – basement membrane is duplicated into 2 layers |
Trousseau’s Sign | Visceral ca, classically pancreatic (migratory thrombophlebitis); Hypocalcemia (carpal spasm); These are two entirely different disease processes and different signs, but they unfortunately have the same name. |
Virchow’s Node | Supraclavicular node enlargement by metastatic carcinoma of the stomach |
Warthin-Finkeldey Giant Cells | Measles |
WBC Casts | Pyelonephritis |
Whipple’s Triad | CNS disfunction – Hypoglycemic episodes – glu injection reverses CNS Sympt’s |
Wire Loop Glomeruli | Lupus nephropathy, type IV (diffuse proliferative form) |
High AFP in amniotic fluid or mother’s serum | 0NTD (Spina Bifida); multiple gestation; fetal demise; Anencephaly |
High Uric Acid | Gout; Lesch Nyhan; Myeloproliferative Disorders; Diuretics (Loop & Thiazides) |
“Ground Glass” on chest x-ray (Hyaline) | Due to Pneumocystis carinii; Seen w/ Atelectasia |
Honey Combing of the lung | Seen w/ Asbestosis (a restrictive lung disease) |
Crescents | Goodpastures syndrome (pneumonia w/ hemoptysis & rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis) |
Linear Ig Deposits | Goodpastures syndrome |
45 Degree Branch Points | Aspergillosis |
PAS(+) Dutcher Bodies | Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia = IgM = Hyperviscosity |
“Ground Glass” in Abdomen(Hyaline) | Seen in the hepatocytes of healthy carriers of HBsAg in liver biopsies |
“Signet Ring” Cells | Cells that replace the ovaries, due to Krukenberg’s tumor that has metastasized from the stomach |
Ground Glass Appearance (Hyaline) | Seen w/ Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy oligodendrocytes; Nuclei seen in Papillary CA of the thyroid (malignant) |
Congo Red | Shows amyloid deposition in plaques & vascular walls |
Meningiomas & Progesterone | Some meningiomas have Progesterone receptors = rapid growth in pregnancy can occur |
Tuberous Sclerosis Triad | Seizures; Mental retardation; Leukoderma (congenital facial white spots or macules): angiofibromas |
Cowdry A Inclusions | Seen w/ Herpes Simplex Encephalitis – in oligodendroglia |
Devic’s Syndrome | “Neuromyelitis Optica”; A variant of multiple sclerosis: rapid demyelination of the optic nerve & spinal cord w/ paraplegia |
c-erb B2 | Breast Cancer association |
Foster-Kennedy Syndrome | A tumor causing blindness & loss of smell w/ papilloedema |
Hoffman’s Sign | Flicking of the middle finger’s nail |
Red Nucleus Destruction | Intention tremors of the arm |
Ventral Spinocerebellar tr. | Unconscious proprioception of lower extremities |
Dorsal Spinocerebellar tr. | Unconscious prorpioception & fine motor movements |
Cuneocerebellar tr. | Unconscious proprioception & fine motor movements of upper extremities |
Dorsal Column | Conscious proprioception of the body |
Lateral Spinothalamic tr. | Pain & Temperature sensation |
Ventral Spinothalamic tr. | Light touch perception |
SVA | Taste & Smell |
GSE | Muscles of the eye & of the tongue |
SSA | Vision; Hearing; Equilibrium |
GVA | Sensation of tongue; soft palate. Carotid Body & Sinus innervation |
GVE | Edinger Westphal = parasympathetic eye innervation; Gland innervation = secretions; Viscera |
GSA | Pain & temperature of face; Sensation of external ear |
SVE | Innervation of muscles of masticaiton, facial expressions, larynx & pharynx |
LMN Lesion | Werndig Hoffman (progressive infantile muscular atrophy); Poliomyelitis |
Sensory Pathway Lesion | Subacute Combined Degeneration = Friedrich’s Ataxia = B12 deficiency; Tabes Dorsalis (Neurosyphilis) |
Both UMN & LMN Lesion | ALS = Lou Gherig’s Disease |
Both Sensory & Motor Lesion | Brown Sequard; Anterior Spinal artery Occlusion |
Suprachiasmatic Nucleus | Controls circadian rhythm |
Ventromedial Nucleus | Satiety center. Savage behavior & obesity when lesioned |
Lateral Nucleus | Induces eating. Starvation when lesioned |
Arcuate Nucleus | Releases PIF (dopa-ergic neurons) |
Mamillary Body | Can have hemorrhages as seen in Wernicke’s Encephalopathy |
Acanthocytes | RBSc w/ spiny projections. Seen in Abetalipoproteinemia. |