Common Shares Excluded From Computation of Diluted Net Loss Per Share (Detail) - shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share	4,644,424	1,017,132	865,436
Options to purchase common stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share	603,643	580,207	649,280
Restricted Stock Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share	88,238	250,475
Warrants to purchase common stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share	1,353,927	186,450	216,156
Convertible Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share	2,598,616

BG Medicine, Inc. 10-K