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PubMed1992

The man behind the syndrome: Friedrich Horner.

Although oculosympathetic lesions were described in the early 18th century in animal experiments, detailed description in humans, with the well-known triad of miosis, ptosis and enophthalmos comprising Horner's syndrome, is accredited to the Swiss ophthalmologist Friedrich Horner (1831-1886). This paper briefly reviews the symptoms and localization of the lesion with currently available diagnostic aids, and sketches the eponymous life behind Horner's syndrome.

Eponyms↗

PubMed1992

Naming acquired melanocytic nevi. Common and dysplastic, normal and atypical, or Unna, Miescher, Spitz, and Clark?

Acquired melanocytic nevi are among the commonest neoplasms in man, yet classification of them has proven elusive and elucidation unsatisfactory. From "active junctional nevus" to "dysplastic nevus," the brains of clinicians and histopathologists have been boggled and the psyches and skin of patients have been served badly. This essay advocates eponymic designations for acquired melanocytic nevi, all of which are common, as the surest route to comprehensive classification of them.

Dysplastic Nevus Syndrome↗

PubMed2002

James Homer Wright: a biography of the enigmatic creator of the Wright stain on the occasion of its centennial.

James Homer Wright (1869-1928), the eldest son of a Pittsburgh glass merchant, was educated in Baltimore and practiced pathology in Boston from 1893 until his death in 1928. In 1896, when not quite 27 years old, he assumed directorship of the newly founded Pathology Laboratory at the Massachusetts General Hospital, a post he held for the next 30 years. He is remembered eponymously by the blood cell stain that bears his name and the Homer Wright pseudorosettes of neuroblastoma, but he made many additional contributions to pathology. These include the following: determination of the cellular lineage of multiple myeloma, identification of the megakaryocyte as the cell of origin of blood platelets, recognition of the cell of origin of the neuroblastoma, demonstration of spirochetes in syphilitic aneurysms of the aorta, and clarification of misconceptions about actinomycosis. Additionally, Wright coauthored, with Dr. Frank B. Mallory, the book Pathological Technique, which was a staple of laboratories for >40 years and exemplifies Wright's wide-ranging interests in, and contributions to, practical aspects of pathology including staining, culture and frozen section techniques, photography, and development of the rotary microtome. He received Honorary Doctor of Science Degrees from Harvard University, the University of Maryland (his alma mater), and the University of Missouri. He was the recipient of the Gross prize in 1905 for his publication on actinomycosis and the Boylston Medical Prize in 1908 for his discovery of the origin of platelets, and he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1915. Although shy and somewhat austere in the workplace, a different side was shown by his anonymously sending flowers to a young Norwegian opera singer whom he subsequently married. The pathology laboratories of the Massachusetts General Hospital were named the "James Homer Wright Pathology Laboratories" in 1956. Today James Homer Wright is remembered and honored 100 years after his description of the stain that, along with the pseudorosettes of neuroblastoma, carry his name into eternity and ensure his great contributions will never be forgotten.

Eponyms↗

PubMed2003

Hyphenated history: the Böhler-Braun frame.

Throughout the history of medicine, many great physicians have originated or popularized ideas that have resulted in their names being attached to a device, procedure, or disease process. Hyphenated eponyms are especially interesting, for there are always underlying stories that explicate how people became associates in history. This paper will describe a bit of hyphenated history regarding orthopaedic trauma, specifically, the development of the Böhler-Braun frame. The lives of two great surgeons associated with this device, Lorenz Böhler, the "father of traumatology," and Heinrich Braun, the "father of local anesthesia," will also be reviewed.

Eponyms↗

PubMed1996

The Charles procedure: misquoted and misunderstood since 1950.

The Charles procedure, named for Sir Richard Henry Havelock Charles, is an eponym for a surgical treatment of leg lymphedema. Sir Havelock led a fascinating life, with his travels taking him to India, the Afghan territories, and the Court of King George V of England. At the turn of this century, Sir Havelock published material describing a series of 140 consecutive patients treated successfully for scrotal lymphedema. In a book chapter published a decade later, entitled "Elephantiasis Scroti," Sir Havelock briefly described the treatment of leg lymphedema but did not document a single successful case report. The name of Sir Havelock Charles was absent from the literature until 1950, when Sir Archibald McIndoe attributed the treatment of leg lymphedema with radical excision and skin grafting to Sir Havelock. References to Charles for the treatment of leg lymphedema have proliferated since that time.

England↗

PubMed2001

Augustus V. Waller and plastic surgery.

Augustus V. Waller's name is associated eponymously with the regressive changes in transected nerves. This article intends to present the many other aspects of Waller's scientific ventures. Apart from pioneering intravital microscopy, Waller made significant contributions to the understanding of the process of tissue inflammation. In addition to his observations of the degenerative changes in severed nerve fibers, he developed a concept of trophic dependence that is relevant for the management of the regeneration of peripheral nerves in plastic surgery.

England↗

PubMed1995

Babinski and Babinski sign.

Babinski's sign probably is the best known neurologic eponym, referring to dorsiflexion of the great toe with or without fanning of the other toes and withdrawal of the leg. This follows plantar stimulation in patients with pyramidal tract dysfunction. Although the plantar reflex already had been described, Babinski--a French neurologist of Polish descent and a pupil of Charcot--was the first to differentiate between a normal and pathologic response of the toes and recognize its clinical implication. Despite the continuing controversy over its pathophysiologic interpretation, the clinical utility of Babinski's sign remains unchanged almost 100 years after its description.

Eponyms↗

PubMed2004

The woman behind Frey's syndrome: the tragic life of Lucja Frey.

OBJECTIVE: The auriculotemporal syndrome is known worldwide as Frey's syndrome. However, the Jewish physician Lucja Frey, after whom it was named, has fallen into obscurity. The little information about her is fragmentary, contradictory, and often incorrect. STUDY DESIGN: To reconstruct the life of Lucja Frey, who was murdered by the Nazis in her native town of Lwów, it was imperative to look for original documents as irrevocable proof of her life. METHODS: During this research, more than 100 archives and institutions in 8 countries have been contacted. RESULTS: With the archive materials, it was possible for the first time to create a complete picture of the life of this fascinating physician. Furthermore, her day of death, unknown until now, could be determined with great plausibility. The lasting impression is not only of a tragic death under the Nazis but also of a tragic life as a whole. CONCLUSION: Lucja Frey would have been forgotten if not for the eponym Frey's syndrome. In this way, she is remembered not only as an unusual woman, physician, and scientist but also as one of millions of Jews murdered by the Nazis. This may be the only key remaining to prevent the repetition of one of the most haunting and devastating times in history.

Eponyms↗

PubMed1976

Syndrome designations.

Because syndrome designations permit the collection of data, they are much more than just lables. As new syndromes become delineated, their names connote (1) their phenotypic spectra, (2) their natural histories, and (3) their modes of inheritance or risk of recurrence. Various methods for designating new syndromes are reviewed, including naming them after (1) the basic defect, (2) an eponym, (3) one or more striking features, (4) an acronym, (5) a numeral, (6) a geographic term, and (7) some combination of the above. None of these systems of nomenclature is without fault. The advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed.

Disease↗

PubMed2002

Wirsung and Santorini: the men behind the ducts.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, several important discoveries were accomplished by anatomists whose contribution has enlightened the most important anatomic structures of the pancreas. Following the earliest discoveries, researchers of several medical specialities further investigated the ductal pancreatic system. The accessory pancreatic duct with its minor papilla, the main pancreatic duct and the papilla major along with the confluence of the main pancreatic duct with the bile duct and pancreas divisum, have been the objects of interest of several personalities of the medical history. Eponyms in pancreatic anatomy were given to remember some of them, although anatomical misattributions are frequent and controversial. The aim of the authors was to dedicate a small tribute to the researchers who have written, during the last 500 years, important chapters of the medical history and who dedicated their lives to study the pancreatic ducts and their duodenal endings. Furthermore, a brief outlook was dedicated to the impact of anatomic variations and of embryologic anomalies of the pancreatic ducts in our clinical practice and in our actual understanding of duct-related diseases. The authors are confident that the genial curiosity of few extraordinary personalities of the past and the opportunities provided by modern technology continue to play a major role that may finally add wisdom to decision-making in dealing with duct-related biliopancreatic diseases and safety to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures employed.

Ampulla of Vater↗

PubMed1997

Jaws revisited: Costen's syndrome.

Although James Costen was not the first to ascribe ear pain, tinnitus, impaired hearing, and even dizziness to temporomandibular joint dysfunction, he developed an integrated and systematic approach ascribing the symptoms to dental malocclusion. He wrote extensively on it, and a few years after his original article, the term Costen's syndrome came into general use. Recently, the use of the eponym has decreased, as dental malocclusion has assumed a lesser role in explaining many of the symptoms formerly ascribed to it.

Ear Diseases↗

PubMed2005

The Kramer-Pollnow syndrome: a contribution on the life and work of Franz Kramer and Hans Pollnow.

In 1932 Franz Kramer (1887-1967) and Hans Pollnow (1902-43) described a hyperkinetic syndrome in children. Basically the symptoms described coincide with what is nowadays regarded as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Hyperkinetic syndrome. The authors of the study thus went down in the history of child and adolescent psychiatry with their eponymous Kramer-Pollnow syndrome, and have had a lasting influence on the development of the concepts relating to this topic. Both worked together at the psychiatric and neurological hospital at Berlin's Charité under its head Karl Bonhoeffer, but as they were both Jewish they were forced to emigrate after the Nazis seized power. Until now, little has been known about the further fate and careers, so this study gives the first comprehensive account of their lives, based on documents found in the archives. It also presents an overview of their work.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

PubMed2002

The mystery of the Doctor's son, or the riddle of West syndrome.

Although the eponym "West syndrome" is used widely for infantile spasms, the originators of the term and the time frame of its initial use are not well known. This article provides historical details about Dr. West, about his son who had infantile spasms, and about the circumstances leading to the coining of the term West syndrome.

Eponyms↗

PubMed2003

Cannonical [sic] confusions, an illusory allusion, and more: a critique of Haggbloom, et al.'s list of eminent psychologists (2002).

The analysis by Haggbloom, et al. (2002) establishing a list of the most eminent psychologists of the 20th century contains significant errors. In one case the achievements of Walter B. Cannon are misattributed to W. Gary Cannon. Other errors are eponyms misattributed to Margaret F. Washburn, Morton Deutsch, Wolfgang Köhler, and G. Stanley Hall. A further mistake is to miscalculate the statistic for introductory psychology textbook citations for Hans J. Eysenck. These errors have consequences for the ranking of individuals on this list. Care must be taken to guard against such mistakes.

Eponyms↗

PubMed1999

[Sister Mary Joseph's nodule. Its clinical significance and management].

The eponym Sister (Mary) Joseph's nodule is referred to the existence of umbilical metastasis. Historically it has been considered a sign of ominous vital prognosis and therapeutic abstention. The analysis of 407 cases published at the medical literature (MEDLINE 1966-1997) is against this idea, because recent series have showed survivals longer than a year after treatment. On the other hand 60% of umbilical nodules are benign. Nowadays this sign must be considered as an early indicator of inner neoplasms, mainly from the abdominal cavity (52% digestive origin, 28% gynecologic origin), and in 40% of cases they are the only expression of relapse of previously known neoplasms. When a umbilical nodule is found it is necessary to make an accurate histologic differential diagnosis between a primary (benign or neoplastic) and metastatic lesions. Fine needle aspiration has demonstrated to be an easy and reliable method for diagnosis. Once the metastatic origin of the nodule is confirmed treatment with curative intention must be tried.

Biopsy, Needle↗

PubMed2003

The Babinski sign--a critical review.

In 1896, Josph Babinski, a French neurologist, first described the best known neurologic eponym--"the Babinski sign". This sign is characterised by dorsiflexion of the big toe, by recruitment of the extensor hallucis longus muscle, on stimulating the sole of the foot. He himself emphasised from the outset the intimate relationship between this sign and the shortening movement in other leg muscles, which forms the flexion synergy of the lower limb. The Babinski sign is not a new reflex, rather it is released as a result of breakdown of the harmonious integration of the flexion and extension component of the normal defence reflex mechanism, due to pyramidal tract dysfunction. A pathological Babinski sign should be clearly distinguished from upgoing toes that may not always be a part of the flexion synergy. This article reviews the Babinski sign in detail, focusing on the historical perspectives, role of pyramidal tract dysfunction, art of elicitation and interpretation. The significance of assessing this phenomenon in the entire leg and the clinical clues that will help to dispel the myths regarding the Babinski sign has been emphasized.

Eponyms↗

PubMed1988

Otto Lanz, surgeon and art collector.

Otto Lanz (1865-1935) was educated in Switzerland, where he was trained in the surgical clinic of Theodore Kocher. In 1902, he was appointed as a professor of surgery in Amsterdam, remaining there until his death. He was wellknown for his surgery of the thyroid gland and for his studies on the vermiform appendix. He defined a point in acute appendicitis, to which his name has been eponymously attached (Lanz's point). His wide scope of interests is pictured, ranging from his invention of meshing a split-skin graft, to his antithyroid therapy, giving thyreotoxic patients the milk to drink of thyroidectomised goats. Apart from his professional achievements, he was a great connoisseur and passionate collector of Italian Renaissance art. Part of his collection was exhibited in the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam, as perpetuated in the Lanz room until acquired for Hitler's proposed Führermuseum during World War II. After the capitulation, the collection was returned to The Netherlands.

Art↗

PubMed1995

Alexandre Yersin and the plague bacillus.

To most doctors, the name Yersin is known only for its eponymous connection with the plague bacillus, Yersinia pestis. In Vietnam, where he lived for over 50 years, Alexandre Yersin is a legendary figure. On the 100th anniversary of the identification of the plague bacillus, a review of this extraordinary man and his controversial discovery is timely.

Eponyms↗