Eponymous Dermatological Sign
A clinical sign in dermatology named after the physician who first described it, requiring consistent capitalisation of the proper name in editorial documents.
Full Definition
Dermatology is rich in eponymous signs—observable clinical findings named after their describing physician (e.g., Auspitz sign in psoriasis, Nikolsky sign in pemphigus, Darier's sign in mastocytosis). Editorial convention requires capitalisation of the eponym (the person's name) while the generic word 'sign' remains lower-case: 'Nikolsky sign', not 'nikolsky sign' or 'Nikolsky Sign'. Possessive forms vary by house style: some guides prefer 'Darier sign' (non-possessive), others 'Darier's sign' (possessive). Editors must apply one convention consistently throughout a document and query inconsistencies.
Usage
Usage note: Always capitalise the proper name in an eponymous sign. Regarding possessives, follow the journal or publisher's stated style guide (AMA, BMJ, etc.) and apply consistently.
In Context
- "The case report consistently used 'Nikolsky sign' without a possessive apostrophe, in line with the journal's non-possessive eponym policy." — Journal case report
- "The editor corrected 'auspitz sign' to 'Auspitz sign' throughout the manuscript to comply with standard eponym capitalisation rules." — Manuscript copy-editing