• General inspection
  • Weight (normal, reduced, increased)
  • Bruising (thrombocytopenia, scurvy etc)
    • Petechiae (pinhead bleeding)
    • Ecchymoses (large bruises)
  • Pigmentation (lymphoma)
  • Rashes and infiltrative lesions (lymphoma)
  • Ulceration (neutropenia)
  • Cyanosis (polycythaemia)
  • Plethora (polycythaemia)
  • Jaundice (haemolysis)
  • Scratch marks (myeloproliferative diseases, lymphoma)
• Hands
  • Nails-koilonychia, pallor
  • Palmar crease pallor (anaemia)
  • Arthropathy (haemophilia, secondary gout, drug treatment etc)
  • Pulse
• Epitrochlear and axillary nodes
  • ​ensure proper technique for axillary lymphadenopathy
• Face
  • Sclera-jaundice, pallor, conjunctival suffusion (polycythaemia)
  • Mouth-gum hypertrophy (monocytic leukaemia etc.), ulceration, infection, haemorrhage (marrow aplasia etc.); atrophic glossitis, angular stomatitis (iron, vitamin deficiencies)
  • Tongue-amyloidosis
• Cervical nodes (sitting up)
  • Palpate from behind
• Bony tenderness
  • Spine
  • Sternum
  • Clavicles
  • Shoulders
• Lungs
  • Pleural effusion
•  Abdomen, chest (lying flat) and genitalia
  • radiation tatoos
  • hepatosplenomegaly
  • Inguinal nodes
  • Detailed examination
  • Ascites, shifting dullness, abdominal masses, scars
• Legs
  • Vasculitis (Henoch-Schönlein purpura-buttocks, thighs)
  • Bruising
  • Pigmentation
  • Ulceration (e.g. haemoglobinopathies)
  • Neurological signs (subacute combined degeneration, peripheral neuropathy in POEMS, IgM MGUS)
• Other
  • Fundi (haemorrhages, infection etc)
  • Temperature chart (infection)
  • Urine analysis (haematuria, bile etc)
  • Rectal and pelvic examination (blood loss)