Wimberger sign

Last revised by Patrick O'Shea on 30 Mar 2022

The Wimberger sign, also called Wimberger corner sign, refers to localized bilateral metaphyseal destruction of the medial proximal tibias. It is a pathognomonic sign of congenital syphilis.

The term must not be mistaken for the Wimberger ring sign seen in scurvy, as both entities are often confusingly referred to as Wimberger sign.

History and etymology

Both eponymous signs were named for Hans Wimberger (1887-1954) 5,6, an Austrian pediatrician. During his lifetime he was mistakenly assumed to be a radiologist on several occasions, including in learned journals, due to his expertise at reading pediatric radiographs. However, he had no formal training in radiology 5.

Several texts and published articles erroneously credit the sign to "Heinrich Wimberger, German radiologist" 5

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