Physical Signs of Inspection and Medical Eponyms of Pericarditis Part II: 1864 to 1895

Abstract

During the mid- to late eighteenth century, physicians continued to make significant contributions describing their observations identified on physical examination in patients diagnosed with pericardial effusion or adherent pericardium. These diagnostic findings were eponymously named as signs in recognition of and to honor the contribution of physicians. The signs involve observation of the abdominal and chest wall during respiration and cardiac contraction, as well as changes occurring in the jugular veins during the cardiac cycle. These signs assisted physicians to further confirm the diagnosis and explain the pathogenesis of the underlying disease at a time where there were no imaging tests available. Observation of the height of the jugular venous wave and movements of the chest and abdomen wall during the cardiac and respiratory cycles provided physicians during this time period additional methods to detect pericardial effusion or adhesive pericarditis and mediastinitis. These findings depicted as sign of medical eponyms further enhance our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanism of disease. The absence of studies on these signs leads to a lack of insight about their accuracy and usefulness in modern-day clinical practice.

Keywords

• pericarditis
• physical examination
• eponyms
• history of medicine