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Clinical Signs Beginning With B

30 signs in this guide begin with the letter B. Every name links to a page explaining what the sign is, how it is elicited on examination, what a positive finding is associated with, and — for eponyms — who the sign is named after.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y

SignSystemA positive finding is associated with
Babinski signNeurologyAssociated with damage to the corticospinal (upper motor neuron) pathway in adults; it is a normal finding in infants up to about 12 months.
Bag-of-worms varicoceleKidney & UrinaryAssociated with varicocele — dilated veins of the spermatic cord; a new right-sided or non-reducing varicocele can be associated with abdominal or kidney pathology.
Ballance's signAbdomen & DigestionAssociated with a ruptured spleen with clotted blood around it.
Ballotable kidneyKidney & UrinaryAssociated with kidney enlargement, as in polycystic kidney disease, tumours or hydronephrosis.
Bancroft's signBlood & LymphTraditionally associated with deep vein thrombosis; unreliable on its own.
Barlow testMuscles, Bones & JointsAssociated with a dislocatable hip in developmental dysplasia of the hip.
Barrel chestChest & BreathingAssociated with hyperinflation of the lungs in emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Battle's signNeurologyAssociated with a fracture of the base of the skull.
Beau's linesSkin & NailsAssociated with a period when nail growth was interrupted — severe illness, high fever, chemotherapy or major stress.
Beck's triadHeart & CirculationAssociated with cardiac tamponade — fluid compressing the heart inside its sac.
Beevor's signNeurologyAssociated with spinal cord lesions around the T10 level and with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.
Berry's signHormones & MetabolismDescribed as associated with malignant thyroid enlargement rather than a benign goitre.
Biot's breathingChest & BreathingAssociated with raised intracranial pressure and brainstem injury, classically meningitis in the original description.
Bitot's spotsGeneral, Eyes & EarsAssociated with vitamin A deficiency, an important preventable cause of blindness worldwide.
Blue dot signKidney & UrinaryAssociated with twisting (torsion) of the appendix testis, a small harmless remnant — a mimic of testicular torsion.
Blumberg's signAbdomen & DigestionAssociated with irritation of the peritoneum (peritonism), as in appendicitis or a perforated viscus.
Blumer's shelfAbdomen & DigestionAssociated with metastatic deposits from an abdominal cancer, classically of the stomach, seeding the pelvic peritoneum.
Boas' signAbdomen & DigestionDescribed as associated with acute gallbladder disease (cholecystitis).
Boston's signHormones & MetabolismAssociated with thyroid eye disease (Graves' ophthalmopathy).
Bouchard's nodesMuscles, Bones & JointsAssociated with osteoarthritis of the fingers.
Boutonnière deformityMuscles, Bones & JointsAssociated with injury to the central slip of the extensor tendon, and with rheumatoid arthritis.
Braxton Hicks contractionsPregnancy & Women's HealthA normal feature of pregnancy from mid-gestation; their becoming regular and painful is associated with the onset of labour.
Brisk jaw jerkNeurologyAssociated with bilateral upper motor neuron lesions above the level of the pons, as in pseudobulbar palsy.
Broadbent's signHeart & CirculationAssociated with constrictive pericarditis, where the heart is tethered by a thickened pericardium.
BronchophonyChest & BreathingAssociated with lung consolidation, as in pneumonia.
Brudzinski's neck signNeurologyAssociated with meningeal irritation, classically in meningitis.
Buerger's testGeneral, Eyes & EarsAssociated with significant peripheral arterial disease of the legs.
Bulbocavernosus reflexNeurologyIts return after a spinal cord injury is associated with the end of the spinal shock phase.
Bulge signMuscles, Bones & JointsAssociated with a small effusion (fluid collection) inside the knee joint.
Buttonhole signSkin & NailsAssociated with neurofibromas in neurofibromatosis type 1.
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.