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Bancroft's sign

System: Blood & Lymph Signs · All blood & lymph signs

What it is — and how it is elicited

The calf muscles feel firmer and are more tender than normal when squeezed forward, in a leg affected by thrombosis.

What a positive finding suggests

Traditionally associated with deep vein thrombosis; unreliable on its own.

◈ Behind the name

Frederic Wolcott Bancroft (1880–1963), American surgeon.

Related signs — Blood & Lymph Signs

Generalised lymphadenopathyGum hypertrophyHoman's signHunter's glossitisKoilonychiaMoses' sign

Browse the B section of the A–Z list or return to the Clinical Signs hub.

Please note: This page is an educational reference about clinical examination signs. A clinical sign supports — and never replaces — a full clinical evaluation, examination and appropriate testing. A sign being present does not by itself prove a diagnosis, and an absent sign does not rule one out. If you have symptoms that worry you, see a health professional.