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Broadbent's sign
System: Heart & Circulation Signs · All heart & circulation signs
What it is — and how it is elicited
A visible inward pulling of the lower left ribs at the back with each heartbeat.
What a positive finding suggests
Associated with constrictive pericarditis, where the heart is tethered by a thickened pericardium.
◈ Behind the name
Sir William Henry Broadbent (1835–1907), British physician.
Related signs — Heart & Circulation Signs
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.