Achilles tendon: the calcaneal tendon.
Achilles in Greek Mythology was slain by a wound in his vulnerable heel inflicted by Paris in
the Trojan War.
Adam’s apple: a protrusion in the front of the throat that is part of the larynx.
Adam: first man!
Adamkiewicz, artery of: the largest anterior medullary feeder artery to the anterior spinal
artery. It varies in level, arising from the lower (T9-11) posterior intercostal, the subcostal, or
less frequently the upper, lumbar (L1-2) arteries. Most often occurs on the left side.
Albert Adamkiewicz (1850–1921), Professor of Pathology, University of Cracow, Poland.
Alcock’s canal: canalis pudendalis.
Benjamin Alcock (1801–?): British anatomist who published an article in 1836 on iliac
arteries.
Allen's test: test of sufficiency of the blood supply to the hand by compression and release of the
ulnar and radial arteries and observation of the colour change of the hand.
E V Allen (1901–1961), Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Alport’s syndrome: rare hereditary condition characterized by progressive renal failure.
Arthur Cecil Alport (1880–1959), South African physician.
Alzheimer’s disease: the most common form of dementia, characterized at postmortem by
neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques.
Alois Alzheimer (1864–1915), Breslau neurologist.
Ammon's horn: the hippocampus.
Friedrich August Von Ammon (1799–1861), Professor of Pathology and Materia Medica,
Dresden, Germany.
Andresen lines: structural lines within dentine, representing incremental lines that run more or
less perpendicular to the direction of the tubules. They represent an incremental period of
about 1 week and are best visualized when longitudinal ground sections are viewed between
crossed polars.
Viggo Andresen (1870–1950), orthodontist, Norway.
Apert’s syndrome: A complex of craniofacial abnormalities caused by premature
craniosynostosis, usually of the coronal suture, leading to turribrachycephaly, associated with
syndactyly and polydactyly.
Eugène Charles Apert (1868–1940), French paediatrician.
Arantius, nodule of: small nodules in the free border of the aortic valves.
Julio Caesar Aranzio (Arantius) (1530–1589), pupil of Vesalius. Professor of Medicine and
Surgery, Bologna, Italy.
Argyll Robertson pupil: pupil reacts to accommodation but not light. Occurs in neurosyphilis.
Douglas Argyll Robertson (1837–1909), ophthalmic surgeon, Edinburgh, UK.
Arnold-Chiari malformation: congenital brain stem and cerebellar herniation through the
foramen magnum.
Julius Arnold (1835–1915), Professor of Pathology, Heidelberg, Germany.
Hans Chiari (1851–1916), gynaecologist, Austria. Professor of Obstetrics first in Prague, then
in Vienna.
Auerbach's plexus: autonomic nervous plexus between circular and longitudinal layers of
muscle of the intestine.
Leopold Auerbach (1828–1897), Professor of Neuropathology, Breslau, Poland.
Axenfeld–Rieger syndrome: An autosomal dominant disorder characterized by bilateral
abnormalities of the anterior segment of the eye in association with extraocular anomalies.
Karl Theodor Paul Polykarpus Axenfeld (1867–1930), German ophthalmologist.
Herwigh Rieger (1898–1986), Austrian ophthalmologist.
Babinski's reflex, response, sign: upgoing plantar response in pyramidal tract disturbances.
Joseph Babinski (1857–1922), pupil of Charcot, neurologist, Pitié Hôpital, Paris, France.
Baillarger, bands/lines/striae of: inner and outer white striations on the cerebral cortex.
Jules Gabriel Baillarger (1815–1890), French neurologist and psychiatrist.
Barr body: inactive x chromatin mass in the nucleus of female cells.
Murray Llewellyn Barr (1908–1995), Professor of Anatomy, University of Western Ontario,
Canada.
Barrett's oesophagus: abnormal columnar mucosa (Barrett’s mucosa) covers a variable length
of the distal oesophagus.
Norman Rupert Barrett (1903–1979), consultant thoracic surgeon. Royal Brompton Hospital,
London, UK.
Bartholin's: ducts and gland – the sublingual salivary gland and its ducts;
glands – the greater vestibular glands on either side of the vaginal orifice.
Casper Bartholin (1655–1738), Professor of Medicine, Anatomy and Physics, Copenhagen,
Denmark. Batson's vertebral venous plexus: the valveless vertebral venous veins that communicate with
the prostatic venous plexus and explain the readiness with which carcinoma of the prostate
spreads to the pelvic bones and vertebrae.
Oscar Batson (1894–1979), Professor of Anatomy, University of Philadelphia, USA.
Battle's sign: bruising over the mastoid process developing two or three days after fracture of
the posterior cranial fossa.
William Battle (1855–1936), surgeon, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK.
Becker muscular dystrophy: Muscular dystrophy of the pelvis-girdle type. Relatively better
prognosis than Duchenne type.
Peter Emil Becker (1908–2000), German human geneticist
Bell's: nerve – long thoracic nerve;
palsy – paresis or paralysis, usually unilateral, of the facial muscles, caused by dysfunction of
the facial nerve.
Sir Charles Bell (1774–1842), surgeon, Middlesex Hospital, London, UK.
Bennett shift: Bennett movement is the lateral shift of the working mandibular condyle during a
laterotrusive movement.
Norman Bennett (1870–1947), British dentist.
Bergmann cells, glia: glial cells of the cerebellum.
Gottlieb Heinrich Bergmann (1781–1861), german neurologist and anatomist, Medical
Director of the Hildersheim Asylum, Germany.
Bernoulli effect: fluid flowing through a tube of varying diameter travels fastest and exerts the
largest lateral pressure at its narrowest point.
Jakob Bernouilli (1654–1705), mathematician, Switzerland. Shares with Isaac Newton the
invention of calculus.
Betz cells: large pyramidal cells of cerebral cortex.
Vladimir Aleksandrovich Betz (1834–1894), Professor of Anatomy, Kiev, Russia.
Bezold's abscess: subperiosteal temporal bone abscess.
Friedrich Bezold (1842–1908), otologist, Munich, Germany.
Bichat, buccal fat pad of: each cheek contains the buccinators muscle, and a variable, but
usually considerable, amount of adipose tissue which is often encapsulated to form a
biconcave mass, the buccan fat pad (of Bichat), particularly evident in infants.
Marie Francois Xavier Bichat (1771–1802), Professor of Anatomy and physician, Hôtel Dieu
Paris, France. Pioneer in study of tissues.
Bielschowsky stain: silver stain for nerve fibres.
Max Bielschowsky (1869–1940), German neuropathologist
Birbeck granules: small cross-striated granules first reported in the Langerhans cells of the
epidermis. Michael S Birbeck (1925–2005), cancer researcher, Institute of Cancer Research, London,
UK.
Blaschko’s lines: pattern adopted by many skin lesions.
Alfred Blaschko (1858–1892), dermatologist, Berlin, Germany.
Bochdalek’s hernia: congenital diaphragmatic hernia due to failure of closure of the
pleuroperitoneal hiatus.
Vincent Alexander Bochdalek (1801–1883), Czech anatomist.
Bowman's: anterior limiting lamina, layer – anterior elastic membrane of the cornea;
capsule – sheath surrounding the renal glomerulus;
glands – glands in the olfactory mucosa.
Sir William Bowman (1816–1892), surgeon at Birmingham General Hospital then Professor
of Anatomy and Physiology, King's College Hospital, London, UK.
Braille text: system of writing consisting of raised dots and points, which can be interpreted by
touch as letters of the alphabet.
Louis Braille (1809–1852), French teacher of the blind.
Broca’s: area – speech area of cerebral cortex;
diagonal band – a fibre tract in the basal forebrain.
Pierre Paul Broca (1824–1880), Professor of Clinical Surgery, Paris, France.
Brödel, bloodless line of: the line of division between the areas of kidney supplied by the
anterior and posterior branches of the renal artery.
Max Brödel (1870–1941), medical artist, first at Leipzig then Director of Institute of Art as
Applied to Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
Brodmann's area 17, area 18: primary visual cortex.
Korbinian Brodmann (1868–1918), Professor of Anatomy, Tubingen, Germany.
Bruch's choroidal basal lamina, membrane: basal membrane of the choroid.
Karl Wilhelm Ludwig Bruch (1819–1884), Professor of Anatomy at Basle, Switzerland, and
then Giessen.
Brunner, glands of: duodenal glands lying deep to the muscularis mucosae.
Johann Konrad Brunner (1653–1727), Professor of Anatomy successively at Heidelberg and
Strasbourg.
Buck's fascia: the penile fascial sheath.
Gordon Buck (1807–1877), surgeon, New York, USA.
Budd–Chiari syndrome: spontaneous thrombosis (complete or partial) of the hepatic veins with
or without additional inferior vena caval thrombosis.
G. Budd (1808–1882), Professor of Medicine, King’s College Hospital, London.
H. Chiari (1851–1916), Professor of Pathology, Prague. Cajal, interstitial cells of: cells in the muscularis externa of the gut wall active as pacemakers in
gut motility.
Santiago Ramon y Cajal (1852–1934), Professor of Anatomy, Valencia, then Barcelona, then
Professor of Histology and Morbid Anatomy, Madrid, Spain.
Caldwell–Luc procedure: operation of opening into the maxillary sinus by way of an incision
into the supradental fossa opposite the premolar teeth, usually done to remove tooth roots or
abnormal tissue.
George W. Caldwell (1834–1925), physician.
Henri Luc (1855–1925), French laryngologist.
Calot's triangle: triangle bound by the liver, common hepatic duct and cystic duct.
Jean François Calot (1861–1914), surgeon, Rothschild Hospital, France, where he
specialised in the treatment of surgical tuberculosis in children.
Carabelli's cusp or tubercle: an occasional fifth tubercle lingual to the antero-medial cusp of
the first upper molar tooth.
Edler Carabelli (1787–1842), Professor of Dental Surgery, Vienna, Austria.
Carnegie stage: a standardized system of 23 stages used to provide a unified developmental
chronology of the vertebrate embryo.
Carnegie Institution for Science, organization established to support scientific research, U.S.
Carpenter's syndrome: mental retardation, acrocephaly and syndactyly related to, but
genetically distinct from, Alpert's syndrome.
George Carpenter (1859–1910), physician, UK.
Charcot's artery of cerebral haemorrhage: lenticulostriate branch of middle cerebral artery.
Jean Martin Charcot (1825–1893), neurologist and physician, Salpetrière, Paris, France.
Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease: an inherited disorder of nerves that is characterized by loss of
muscle tissue and touch sensation, predominantly in the feet and legs.
Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893), French neurologist; Pierre Marie (1853-1940), French
neurologist, assistant to Charcot; and Howard Henry Tooth (1856-1925), British neurologist.
Chassaignac's carotid tubercle: the prominent anterior tubercle of the transverse process of the
sixth cervical vertebra against which the carotid artery can be compressed.
Charles Marie Edouard Chassaignac (1805–1879), surgeon, Paris, France.
Chilaiditi syndrome: the presence of a long mesentery related to the distal ascending and
proximal transverse colon resulting in the presence of either or both interposed between the
right lobe of the liver and the diaphragm with or without abdominal symptoms.
Demetrius Chilaiditi (b. 1883), Greek radiologist in Vienna, Austria.
Clara cells: bronchiolar cells secreting surfactant.
Max Clara (1899–1966) Professor of Anatomy, Leipzig, Germany. Clarke's column: basal nucleus in posterior horn of spinal grey matter.
Jacob Augustus Lockhart Clarke (1817–1880), neurologist, Hospital for Epilepsy and
Paralysis, London, UK.
Claudius, supporting cells of: supporting cells on the floor of the cochlear canal of the inner
ear.
Friedrich Matthias Claudius (1822–1869), Professor of Anatomy successively in Kiel and
Marburg, Germany.
Cleland's ligament (transverse retrovascular ligament): thin fibres passing from the lateral
surfaces of the interphalangeal joints to the skin of the fingers.
John Cleland (1835–1925), Professor of Anatomy, Glasgow, UK.
Cloquet's node (gland): lymph node in the femoral canal.
Jules Germain Cloquet (1790–1883), Professor of Anatomy and Surgery, Paris.
Colles': fascia – continuation of Scarpa's layer of abdominal fascia;
fracture – fracture of the lower end of the radius with dorsal displacement.
Abraham Colles (1773–1843), Professor of Anatomy and Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons
of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
Cooper's: pectineal ligament – thickened periosteum on the penten;
suspensory ligaments – suspensory ligaments of the breast.
Sir Astley Pastor Cooper (1768–1841), surgeon, Guy's Hospital, London, UK.
Corti, organ of, rods of: auditory hair cells of the cochlea.
Alfonso Corti (1822–1888), histologist. Held no academic post but worked in Vienna, Berlin,
Utrecht and Turin.
Crouzon's syndrome: craniofacial dysostosis. Premature closures of cranial vault sutures,
maxillary hypoplasia and ocular and aural anomalies.
Octave Crouzon (1874–1938), neurologist, Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
Cullen's sign: bluish discolouration at the umbilicus from extravasated blood in ruptured ectopic
pregnancy and pancreatitis – an uncommon physical sign.
Thomas Cullen (1869–1953), Professor of Gynaecology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore,
USA.
Cupid’s bow: expression to describe the upper curl of the lip, which resembles Cupid’s bow.
Cupid, the Roman god of love, pictured as a winged boy with a bow.
Cushingoid syndrome: the syndrome produced by glucocorticosteroid excess.
Harvey Cushing (1869–1939), Professor of Surgery, Harvard, neurosurgeon, Peter Bent
Brigham Hospital, Boston, USA.
Cuvier, duct of: termination of the cardinal vein in the fetus.
Baron Georges Cuvier (1760–1832), zoologist and palaeontologist, Paris, France. Darkschewitsch, nucleus of: posterior commissural nucleus.
Liverij Osipovich Darkschewitsch (1858–1925), neuroanatomist, University of Moscow.
Darwin’s tubercle: slight projection which may be present on the posterior superior aspect of
the helix of the pinna (auricle) of the external ear.
Charles Robert Darwin (1809–1882), English naturalist, author of ‘On the Origin of Species
by Means of Natural Selection’.
Deiters': phalangeal supporting cells – outer hair cells in the organ of Corti;
nucleus – lateral vestibular nucleus of the vestibulocochlear nerve.
Otto Friedrich Karl Deiters (1834–1863), Professor of Anatomy and Histology, Bonn,
Germany.
Denonvillier's fascia: fascia separating the prostate from the rectum.
Charles Pierre Denonvilliers (1808–1872), Professor of Anatomy, Paris, France.
De Quervain's tenovaginitis: stenosing tenovaginitis of the tendon sheath of abductor pollicis
longus and extensor pollicis brevis.
Fritz de Quervain (1868–1940), Professor of Surgery, Berne, Switzerland.
Descemet's posterior limiting lamina, layer, membrane: posterior membrane of the cornea.
Jean Descemet (1732–1810), Professor of Anatomy and Surgery, Paris.
DiGeorge’s syndrome: congenital disorder in which defective development of the third and
fourth pharyngeal pouches results in hypoplasia or aplasia of the thymus and parathyroid
glands.
Angelo Mario DiGeorge (b. 1921), American paediatrician.
Disse, perisinusoidal space of: space between the venous sinusoid and the hepatic cells.
Josef Disse (1852–1912), anatomist, Germany
Dorello’s canal: an opening sometimes found in the temporal bone through which the abducens
nerve and inferior petrosal sinus together enter the cavernous sinus.
Primo Dorello, 19th century Italian anatomist
Down syndrome: Trisomy 21, producing mental retardation and characteristic facies with
variable additional abnormalities.
John Langdon Haydon Down (1828–1896), Cornish physician.
Douglas, pouch of: rectouterine peritoneal pouch.
James Douglas (1675–1742), anatomist and obstetrician, London, UK.
Drummond, marginal artery (or arch) of: the anastomoses between the ileo-colic, right colic,
middle colic, left colic and sigmoid arteries (the arch of Roilan is the part of this arch between
the middle and left colic artery).
Hamilton Drummond (1882–1925), surgeon, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy: chronic progressive muscular atrophy due to mutations in the
dystrophin gene.
Guillaume Benjamin Amand Duchenne de Boulogne (1806–1921), French neurologist.
Dupuytren's disease (contracture): contraction and fibrosis of the palmar (and occasionally the
plantar) fascia.
Baron Guillaume Dupuytren (1777–1835), surgeon, Hôtel Dieu, Paris, France.
Edinger–Westphal nucleus: midbrain nucleus containing preganglionic neurons destined to
synapse in the ciliary ganglion; it lies close to the nucleus of the oculomotor nerve.
Ludwig Edinger (1855–1918), Professor of Anatomy, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany.
Karl Westphal (1833–1890), Professor of Psychiatry, Berlin, Germany.
Ehlers–Danlos syndrome: a group of rare genetic disorders affecting humans and domestic
animals caused by a defect in collagen synthesis.
Edward Ehlers of Denmark (1863 – 1937) and Henri-Alexandre Danlos of France (1844 –
1912), identified the syndrome at the turn of the 20th century.
Eisenmenger complex: the combination of ventricular septal defect with pulmonary
hypertension and consequent right-to-left shunt through the defect, with or without an
associated overriding aorta.
Victor Eisenmenger (1864–1932), German physician.
Elschnig’s layer: astroglial membrane at the optic nerve head continuous with the internal
limiting membrane of the retina.
Anton Elschnig (1863–1939), Professor, University of Prague Eye Clinic.
Epley’s manoeuvre: canalith repositioning for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.
John Epley, American otolaryngologist.
Erb’s point: The point on the side of the neck 2 to 3 cm above the clavicle and in front of the
transverse process of the sixth cervical vertebra. Pressure over this point elicits the DuchenneErb paralysis, and electrical stimulation over this area causes various arm muscles to contract.
Wilhelm Erb (1840–1921), Professor of Neurology, Heidelberg, Germany.
Erb–Duchenne paralysis: the result of injury to the C5 and C6 roots of the brachial plexus;
Wilhelm Erb (1840–1921), Professor of Neurology, Heidelberg, Germany.
G B A Duchenne (1806–1875), neurologist, Paris, France.
Eustachian: tube – the pharyngotympanic tube;
valve – inferior vena caval valve in right atrium.
Bartolomeo Eustachi (1513–1574), Professor of Anatomy, Rome, Italy, and physician to the
Pope.
Fallopian: aqueduct or canal – canal for facial nerve in the temporal bone;
tube – the uterine tube. Gabrielle Fallopio (1523–1562), Professor of Anatomy, Padua, Italy; a pupil of Vesalius.
Fallot's tetralogy: congenital heart disease comprising pulmonary stenosis, right ventricular
hypertrophy, ventricular septal defect and over-riding of the aorta.
Etienne-Louis Fallot (1850–1911), Professor of Medicine, Marseilles, France.
Fordyce's spots: small mucosal cysts of cheeks, lips and tongue.
J Fordyce (1858–1925), dermatologist, New York, USA.
Forel, H field of: ventral tegmental decussation between the red nuclei.
August Forel (1848–1931), anatomist and neurologist, Zurich, Switzerland.
Fox–Fordyce disease: chronic, papular disease involving apocrine sweat duct obstruction, eg. in
the axilla.
George Henry Fox (1846–1937), American dermatologist.
John Addison Fordyce (1858–1925), American dermatologist.
Freiberg’s infraction: Osteochondrosis of a metatarsal head, usually the second (more rarely
3.rd or 4th.) metatarsal bone of the foot, presenting the picture of subchondral cancellous bone
necrosis. Characterized by localized pain and swelling over the metatarsal head, overlying
skin red, and limitation of movement in an adolescent. X-rays show the head to be crushed
and fragmented. Occurs most often in girls aged 10 to 18 years.
Albert Henry Freiberg (1868 – 1940), American surgeon.
Frey's syndrome: sweating in distribution of auriculotemporal nerve triggered by eating
('auriculo-gustatory sweating') after injury to the facial nerve.
Lucja Frey (1889–1944), neurologist, Warsaw, Poland.
Froehse, arcade of: arcade between the two layers of supinator; it transmits the posterior
interosseous nerve.
Fritz Froehse, anatomist, Germany.
Fröhlich syndrome: adiposogenital dystrophy.
Alfred Fröhlich (1871–1953), Austrian pharmacologist in the USA
Galen's: nerve (ansa galeni) – branch of the superior laryngeal nerve to the recurrent laryngeal
nerve;
vein (deep galenic venous system) – the great cerebral vein.
Claudius Galen (130–200 AD), born Pergamum, Asia Minor, studied there and in Smyrna,
Corinth and Alexandria. Physician to Marcus Aurelius and taught Anatomy and Medicine in
Rome. Author of numerous texts on anatomy, surgery and medicine.
Gartner's duct, cyst: paravaginal duct; mesonephric duct remnant.
Hermann Treschow Gärtner (1785–1827), surgeon in Norwegian and then Danish army.
Gennari, stria (white line) of: white band or stripe in the occipital cortex. Francesco Gennari (1750–1797), anatomist, Parma, Italy.
Gerdy's tubercle: the attachment of the ilio-tibial tract to the proximal tibia.
Pierre Nicolas Gerdy (1797–1856), surgeon and pathologist, Paris, France.
Gerota's fascia: the renal fascia; encapsulates the perinephric fat.
Dumitru Gerota (1867–1939), Professor of Surgery, Bucharest, Romania.
Giacomini, band of: band on surface of the uncus.
Carlo Giacomini (1840–1898), Professor of Anatomy, Turin, Italy.
Giemsa staining: solution containing azure-II, glycerin and methanol. Stained elements appear
pink to purple to blue.
Gustav Giemsa (1867–1948), German chemist and bacteriologist.
Gillies approach, flap, operation: an instrument is inserted deep to the deep lamina of
temporalis fascia through a scalp incision and used to elevate depressed zygomatic complex
fractures.
Sir Harold Delf Gillies (1882–1960), British plastic surgeon.
Glisson's capsule, sheath: the fibrous capsule of the liver.
Francis Glisson (1597–1677), Regius Professor of Medicine, Cambridge. Described rickets in
1671.
Goethe, ossicle of: the incus (an auditory ossicle).
Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749–1832), poet, philosopher and scientist, Germany.
Goldenhaar syndrome: hemifacial microsomia. A syndrome of dermoid cysts, auricular
appendices, asymmetrical malformations of the face, and vertebral abnormalities.
Maurice Goldenhaar, (1924–2001), American physician.
Golgi: complexes or apparatus or bodies – membranous cellular organelles or vesicles;
cells or neurones – GABA-ergic cerebellar interneurones;
corpuscles – tactile end organs in skin and muscle;
staining technique – silver staining method for neurones;
tendon organs – A proprioceptive sensory nerve ending embedded among the fibres of a
tendon.
Camillo Golgi (1844–1926), Professor of Histology and Anatomy successively in Padua and
then Sienna, Italy.
Goodpasture’s syndrome: Autoimmune condition in which autoantibodies damage the basal
lamina, primarily affecting renal and lung function.
Ernest William Goodpasture (1886–1960), American pathologist, Tennessee.
Graafian follicle: the mature ovarian follicle.
Regnier de Graaf (1641–1673), anatomist and physician, Delft, Holland. Graves’ disease: disorder of the thyroid, usually of autoimmune etiology, characterized by at
least two of the following: hyperthyroidism, goiter, and exophthalmos.
Robert James Graves (1796–1853), Irish physician.
Grayson's ligament: fascial fibres which pass from the lateral sides of the phalanges volar to the
neurovascular bundle.
J Grayson, Professor of Anatomy, Manchester, UK.
Grey Turner's sign: bluish discoloration in the left loin caused by extravasated blood in acute
pancreatitis – an uncommon physical sign.
George Grey Turner (1877–1951), Surgeon at Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle Upon
Tyne and the Professor of Surgery, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith,
London, UK.
Guerin's fracture: a LeFort I level fracture of the maxilla.
Alphonse Guerin (1816–1895), surgeon, Paris, France.
Guillain–Barré syndrome: acute idiopathic polyneuritis.
Georges Guillain (1876–1951), French neurologist.
Jean Alexander Barré (1880–1967), French neurologist.
Guyon's canal: canal for the ulnar nerve and vessels; defined medially by the pisiform, and
posteriorly by the flexor retinaculum.
Jean Casimir Guyon (1831–1920), surgeon, Paris, France.
Haller's: cells – infraorbital ethmoid cells (synonym: orbitoethmoidal cells) which may be
specified as either anterior or posterior ethmoid. They may lie lateral to the infundibulum and
then open in to the middle meatus. They grow into the bony orbital floor and may obstruct the
ostia of either the ethmoid infundibulum or the maxillary sinus during endonasal procedures;
layer – layer of large blood vessels in the choroid derived from the short posterior ciliary
arteries.
Victor Albrecht von Haller (1708–1777), Professor of Anatomy, Physiology, Surgery and
Botany, University of Göttingen, Germany.
Harris's growth lines: transverse juxta-epiphyseal lines of long bones seen on X-ray and
representing temporary growth arrest.
Henry Harris (1886–1951), Professor of Anatomy, Cambridge, UK.
Hartmann's pouch: dilatation above the neck of the gallbladder – a pathological entity
produced by a contained gallstone.
Henri Hartmann (1860–1952), Professor of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Paris, France.
Hassall’s corpuscles: spherical or ovoid bodies found in the medulla of the thymus, composed
of concentric arrays of epithelial cells which contain keratohyalin and bundles of cytoplasmic
filaments.
Arthur Hill Hassall (1817–1894), English chemist and physician
Haversian: canals – central vascular channels in Haversian systems;
systems – cylindrical units of tissue (osteons) in compact bone.
Clopton Havers (1817–1894), physician practising first in London, then in Isle of Wight, UK.
Heidenhain’s trichrome stain: a stain for connective tissue.
Rudolf Peter Heinrich Heidenhain (1834–1897), Breslau physiologist.
Henle's: fibres: the ‘axons’ of foveal retinal cones running parallel to the retinal surface;
layer – outer layer of cells in the root sheath of a hair;
loop – the looped portion of the renal tubule.
Friedrich Gustav Henle (1808–1885), Professor of Anatomy successively in Zurich,
Heidelberg and Göttingen, Germany.
Henry, knot of: the crossing of the tendon of flexor hallucis longus deep to the tendon of flexor
digitorum longus in the sole of the foot.
Arnold Kirkpatrick Henry (1886–1962), Professor of Anatomy, Royal College of Surgeons in
Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
Hensen’s: node – thickening at the site of the first formation of the primitive streak;
cells, stripe – in the organ of Corti (see above) to the outer side of the cells of Deiters (see
above).
Viktor Hensen (1834–1924), Professor of Physiology, Kiel, Germany.
Hering–Breuer reflex: lung stretch reflex mediated by the vagus.
Carl Ewald Hering (1834–1918), physiologist, Vienna and then Leipzig.
Josef Breuer (1842–1925), psychiatrist and physiologist, Vienna, where he collaborated with
Hering.
Hering, canals of: fine terminal ductules lined by cuboidal epithelium, linking the intralobular
bile canaliculi with bile ducts in the portal canals.
Carl Ewald Hering (1834–1918), physiologist, Academy of Military Medicine, Vienna and
Leipzig.
Heschl's transverse temporal gyri: gyri on temporal lobe of brain.
Richard Heschl (1824–1881), Professor of Pathology, Cracow, and then of Clinical Medicine,
Graz, Austria.
Heubner’s artery: Cerebral artery, supplies the anteromedial part of the head of the caudate and
anteroinferior internal capsule.
Johann Otto Leonhard Heubner (1843–1926), German paediatrician.
Heuser's membrane: the parietal hypoblast layer.
Chester Heuser (1885–1965), embryologist, USA.
Hilton's law: nerves crossing a joint supply the joint, the muscles acting on the joint and the skin
overlying the joint. John Hilton (1805–1878), surgeon, Guy's Hospital, London, UK.
Hirschsprung's disease: megacolon resulting from congenital absence of autonomic ganglion
cells in distal contracted segment.
Harald Hirschsprung (1830–1916), physician, Queen Louise Children's Hospital,
Copenhagen, Denmark.
His: bundle of – the atrioventricular bundle of the heart;
furcula of – an inverted U which appears in the central wall of the developing pharynx.
Wilhelm His (Junior) (1863–1934), Professor of Anatomy successively at Leipzig, Basle,
Göttingen and Berlin. Son of Wilhelm His Senior.
Hoboken, valves of: constrictions of the contours of the umbilical arteries along their course
through the umbilical cord.
Nicolas van Hoboken (1632–1678), Professor of Anatomy, Harderwyk, then Professor of
Medicine and Mathematics in Steinfurt, The Netherlands.
Hofbauer cells: placental macrophages in the chorionic villi.
J Isfred Hofbauer (1878–1961), American gynaecologist.
Holden, line of: transverse skin crease at the groin caused by flexion of the hip.
Luther Holden (1815–1905), surgeon, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, UK.
Horner's syndrome: ptosis and pupillary constriction following interruption of the sympathetic
supply to the eyelid and pupil, respectively.
Johann Horner (1831–1886), Professor of Ophthalmology, Zurich, Switzerland.
Howship's lacunae: absorption spaces in bone.
John Howship (1781–1841), surgeon, St George's and Charing Cross Hospitals, London, UK.
Suffered himself from osteomyelitis of the tibia and made special study of bone pathology.
Humphrey, ligament of: meniscofemoral ligament – Humphrey described this ligament as
running from the lateral meniscus to the posterior cruciate ligament.
George Murray Humphrey (1820–1896), Professor of Anatomy and then of Surgery,
Cambridge, UK. Founder of Journal of Anatomy.
Hunter's canal: the subsartorial canal.
John Hunter (1728–1793), surgeon, St George's Hospital, London, UK. Described ligation of
the femoral artery in the subsartorial canal for popliteal aneurysm.
Huntington’s disease (chorea): Autosomal dominant disease characterized by chronic
progressive chorea and mental deterioration.
George Sumner Huntington (1850–1916), American physician.
Hurler’s syndrome: genetic disorder resulting in a deficiency in breakdown of
mucopolysaccharides in the extracellular matrix.
Gertrud Hurler (1889–1965), German paediatrician.
Huschke, foramen of: deficiency in the floor of the bony part of the external auditory meatus,
which usually closes by the fifth year, but may persist throughout life.
Emil Huschke (1797–1858), Professor of Anatomy, Jena, Germany.
Huxley's layer: the inner layer of cells of the root sheath of a hair.
Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–1895), lecturer in Natural History, Royal School of Mines, UK.
An early supporter of Darwinism.
Hyrtl's anastomosis: occasional anastomosis between umbilical arteries in the placenta.
Joseph Hyrtl (1811–1894), anatomist, Austria.
Jackson's membrane: peritoneal fold between caecum or ascending colon and lateral abdominal
wall.
Jabez North Jackson (1868–1935), Professor of Anatomy and Surgery, Kansas City, USA.
Jeune’s syndrome: asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy.
Mathis Jeune (b. 1910), French paediatrician.
Kartagener's syndrome: genetic disorder (immotile cilia syndrome) affecting axonemal dynein
function.
Manes Kartagener (1897–1975), physician, Switzerland.
Kiesselbach's plexus: site of haemorrhage on nasal septum.
Wilhelm Kiesselbach (1839–1902), ear nose and throat surgeon, Erlangen, Germany.
Killian's dehiscence: gap between the attachments of the inferior constrictor of the pharynx to
the cricoid and thyroid cartilages – site of origin of a pharyngeal pouch.
Gustav Killian (1860–1921), Professor of Laryngorhinology successively in Freiburg and
Berlin, Germany.
Klippel–Feil syndrome: congenital fusion or reduction in number of cervical vertebrae.
Maurice Klippel (1858–1942), neurologist at Salpetrière, Paris.
André Feil (1884–?), neurologist, France.
Klumpke's paralysis: injury to lowest root of brachial plexus (T1).
Augusta Dejerine-Klumpke (1859–1927), neurologist, Paris, France. Married to another
neurologist, Joseph Dejerine.
Koch, triangle of: triangular area in the wall of the right atrium which marks the site of the
atrioventricular node.
Walter Koch (1880–?), physician and pathologist, Berlin and Freiburg, France.
Köhler’s disease: An avascular necrosis of the tarsal navicular bone and, less frequently, the
patella, possibly due to repetitive compressive forces which cause a loss of blood supply and
fragmentation in a bone that is not fully ossified. More common in males; onset at 3 to 8 years
of age. Asymptomatic or pain on medial side of foot. Tenderness on palpation and swelling
over area of navicular bone. Slight, usually unilateral, limp. Alban Köhler (1874 – 1947), German radiologist.
Kohn, interalveolar pores of: pores that link adjacent alveolar air spaces of the lung.
Hans Kohn (1866–1935), pathologist, Berlin, Germany.
Kölliker-Fuse nucleus: substantia intermedia centralis in spinal cord.
Rudolf Albert Von Kölliker (1817–1905), anatomist, Switzerland.
Korsakoff psychosis/syndrome: syndrome of anterograde and retrograde amnesia with
confabulation associated with alcoholic or non-alcoholic polyneuritis described as
‘cerebropathia psychica toxaemia’ by Korsacoff; currently used synonymously with ‘amnestic
syndrome’.
Sergei Sergeievich Korsakoff (1854–1900), Russian neuropsychiatrist.
Kraissl's lines: lines of greatest tension in the skin.
Cornelius Kraissl (d. 1999), plastic surgeon, New Jersey, USA
Krause, glands of: accessory lacrimal glands in the subconjunctival tissue of the upper fornix.
Karl Friedrich Theodor Krause (1797–1868), Professor of Anatomy, Hannover.
Krebs’ cycle: the citric acid cycle: oxidative energy production pathway in mitochondria.
Sir Hans Adolf Krebs (1900–1981), German-born British biochemist.
Kuhnt: central tissue meniscus of – a thickening of the astroglial membrane (of Elschnig)
covering the optic nerve head at the centre of the disc;
intermediary layer of – a collar of astrocytes that separates the optic nerve head from the
retina.
Hermann Kuhnt (1850–1925), German ophthalmologist.
Kulchitsky cells: neuroendocrine cells in lung and gut.
Nicholas Kulchitsky (1856–1925), Professor of Histology, Kharkov, Russia. After the Russian
revolution he came to London to continue his work in neuropathology at University College.
Kupffer cells: resident liver macrophages.
Karl Wilhelm Von Kupffer (1829–1902), Professor of Anatomy successively at Kiel,
Köningsberg and Munich, Germany.
Labbé, inferior anastomotic vein of: connects superficial middle cerebral vein to the transverse
sinus.
Leon Labbé (1832–1916), surgeon, France.
Ladd's bands: congenital bands across the duodenum in volvulus neonatorum.
William Edward Ladd (1880–1967), surgeon, Boston Children's Hospital, USA.
Laimer’s diverticulum: a pulsion diverticulum located below cricopharyngeus.
Eduard Laimer, German anatomist.
Landsmeer's ligaments: transverse and oblique retinacular ligaments of the fingers.
Johan Landsmeer (1919–1999), Professor of Anatomy, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Langer's lines: cleavage or crease lines in the skin produced by the arrangement of the
subcutaneous fibrous tissues.
Karl Ritter von Edenberg Langer (1819–1887), Professor of Anatomy, Hungary, and then
Vienna, Austria
Langerhans: cells – dendritic cell of haemopoietic origin, in epidermis and other epithelia;
islets of – clumps of insulin- and other hormone-secreting cells of the pancreas.
Paul Langerhans (1847–1888), Professor of Pathology, Freiburg, Germany. Described the
islet cells in his doctorate thesis in 1869, at the age of 22.
Langhans cells: cells of the villous cytotrophoblast.
Theodor Langhans (1839–1915), pathologist, Berne, Switzerland.
Le Fort I, II or III fractures: system of classification of facial fractures.
René Le Fort (1869–1951), surgeon, Lille, France.
Leydig cells: the interstitial testosterone-secreting cells of the testis.
Franz Von Leydig (1821–1908), Professor of Histology successively at Würzburg, Tübingen
and Bonn, Germany.
Lieberkühn, crypts of: tubular glands of the small intestine.
Johann Nathaniel Lieberkuhn (1711–1756), physician and anatomist, Berlin, Germany. These
glands were described by Malphighi (see below) in 1688.
Lisfranc's ligament: interosseous ligament between the second metatarsal and first cuneiform
bone of the foot.
Jaques de St. Martin Lisfranc (1790–1847), Professor of Surgery, Paris, France.
Lissauer, fasciculus of, tract of: ascending tract in the spinal cord.
Heinrich Lissauer (1861–1891), neurologist, Breslau.
Lister's tubercle: a prominence on the posterior surface of the distal radius, ulnar to the groove
for the tendon of extensor pollicis longus.
Joseph (Lord) Lister (1827–1912), successively Professor of Surgery at Glasgow, Edinburgh
and King's College, London, UK.
Little's area: site of haemorrhage on the nasal septum.
James Laurence Little (1836–1885), Professor of Surgery, University of Vermont, USA.
Louis, angle of: sternal angle: the angle formed on the anterior surface of the sternum at the
junction of its body and manubrium.
Antoine Louis (1723–1792), Maître de chirurgie and later appointed Professor of Physiology
at the Royal College of Surgeons, Paris, France. Interestingly, he is also linked to the design
of the famous Guillotine.
Ludwig’s angina: a potentially life-threatening, rapidly expanding, diffuse inflammation of the
submandibular and sublingual spaces, occurring most often in young adults with dental
infections. Wilhelm Friedrich von Ludwig (1790–1865), German surgeon and obstetrician.
Luschka: bursa of, (lateral Luschka aperture) – accessory pharyngeal recess in front of the
anterior arch of the atlas;
foramina of – lateral aperture in the roof of the fourth cerebral ventricle;
uncovertebral joints of – small synovial joints on either side of the intervertebral
cartilaginous joint in cervical vertebrae C3-7 (between the uncinate process of the inferior
vertebral body and the bevelled lateral border of the superior body at each level).
Hubert Luschka (1820–1875), Professor of Anatomy, Tübingen, Germany.
Macewen’s triangle: Macewen’s triangle is the surface marking of the mastoid antrum.
Sir William Macewen (1848–1924), Scottish surgeon. His work established the treatment of
intracranial complications of middle ear suppuration.
Mackenrodt's ligament: the transverse cervical (or cardinal) ligament of the uterus.
Alwin Mackenrodt (1859–1925), Professor of Gynaecology, Berlin, Germany.
Magendie, foramen of, aperture of: the median aperture in the roof of the fourth ventricle.
François Magendie (1783–1855), physician to the Hôtel Dieu, Paris, France.
Malassez, rests of: Epithelial remnants of the enamel organ found in the periodontal ligament.
Louis Charles Malassez (1842–1909), French surgeon and physiologist.
Mallory’s triple stain: Mallory’s acid fuchsin, orange G and aniline blue stain for connective
tissue.
Frank Burr Mallory (1862–1941), Boston pathologist.
Marfan’s syndrome: autosomal genetic disorder of the connective tissue characterized by a long
body and extended limbs and fingers, often associated with cardiovascular abnormalities such
as dissecting aortic aneurysms and valve defects, as well as subluxated ocular lenses.
Antoine Bernard-Jean Marfan (1858–1942), Professor of Infantile Hygiene, Paediatric clinic,
University of Paris.
Martinotti’s cell/neurone: a fusiform neurone in the deepest layer of the cerebral cortex
Giovanni Martinotti (1857–1928), Bolognia pathologist.
Masson’s trichrome stain: a stain for connective tissue.
Claude Laurent Pierre Masson (1880–1959), French-born Canadian pathologist.
Meckel's: cartilage – the cartilage of the first branchial arch;
diverticulum – the remains of the vitello-intestinal duct.
Johann Meckel (1781–1833), Professor of Anatomy, Halle. His grandfather was Professor of
Anatomy in Berlin and described the pterygopalatine ganglion and the dural sac which
contains the ganglion of the trigeminal nerve. His father was also Professor of Anatomy in
Halle. Meibomian glands: the tarsal glands of the eyelid. If blocked they become distended into
meibomian cysts.
Heinrich Meibom (1638–1700), Professor of Medicine, History and Poetry, Helmstadt,
Germany.
Meissner's: corpuscles – tactile nerve endings in skin;
plexus – submucosal autonomic plexus of the intestine.
George Meissner (1829–1905), Professor of Anatomy and Physiology, Basle, of Zoology and
Physiology at Freiburg, and Physiology at Göttingen, Germany.
laws – the laws of inheritance of single-gene traits that form the basis of the science of genetics,
first described by Gregor Mendel in 1865.
Gregor Johann Mendel (1822–1884), Abbot and pioneer of genetics from Brno, Czech
Republic
Ménière’s disease: aural or auditory vertigo.
Prosper Ménière (1799–1862), French otorhinolaryngologist.
Merkel: cells, corpuscles – sensory nerve endings in the skin;
disc – slowly adapting type I receptor, lies close to the surface of glabrous skin and sensitive
to sustained pressure.
Friedrich Sigmund Merkel (1845–1919), Professor of Anatomy successively at Rostock, then
Göttingen, Germany.
Meyer's loop: portion of the geniculocalcarine radiation.
Adolf Meyer (1866–1950), neurologist, USA.
Meynert, basal nucleus of: part of the 'substantia innominata' of the basal forebrain: contains
large cholinergic neurones that project to the cerebral cortex, amygdala and thalamus.
Theodore Herman Meynert (1833–1892), Professor of Neurology, Vienna, Austria.
Mirizzi syndrome: partial obstruction to the flow of bile and the appearance of mild jaundice as
a result of biliary stones.
Pablo Mirizzi(1893 – 1964), Argentinean physician.
Moll, glands of: modified sweat glands associated with the eyelashes.
Jacob Antonius Moll (1832–1914), ophthalmologist, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Monro, foramen of: the foramen between the lateral and third ventricles of the brain.
Alexander Monro (1733–1817), Professor of Anatomy, Edinburgh, UK. The chair was also
held by his father and his son – all named Alexander.
Montgomery, glands of, tubercles of: sebaceous glands situated in the areola of the breast.
William Montgomery (1797–1859), Professor of Midwifery, Dublin, Ireland. (Previously
described by Morgagni, see below).
Morgagni: columns of – the columns of the anal canal; hernia – congenital diaphragmatic hernia between the sternal and costal attachments of the
diaphragm.
Giovanni Battista Morgagni (1682–1771), Professor of Anatomy, Padua, Italy, for 59 years.
Founder of modern morbid anatomy.
Morison, hepatorenal pouch of: the right subhepatic space.
James Rutherford Morison (1853–1939), Professor of Surgery, Durham, UK.
Moro reflex: startle reflex.
Ernst Moro (1874–1951), German physician.
Morton’s neuroma: A disease of the foot characterized by a sudden cramplike pain in the
metatarsal area radiating to the 4th and 5th toe and sometimes to the calf of the leg.
Compression of the plantar nerve by a tumor, arthritic changes, or bursitis is the common
cause.
Thomas George Morton (1835 – 1903), American surgeon.
Müller: cells – neuroglial cells in the retina;
orbital muscle of – collection of smooth muscle fibres spanning the infraorbital fissure. Its
functions are uncertain.
Heinrich Müller (1820–1864), Professor of Anatomy, Würzburg, Germany.
Johannes Müller (1801–1858), Professor of Anatomy, Berlin, Germany.
Nabothian cyst, follicle: retention cyst of uterine cervix.
Martin Naboth (1675–1721), Professor of Medicine, Leipzig, Germany.
Newtonian: equations – using the SI unit of force (N), which when applied in a vacuum to a
body having a mass of one kilogram, accelerates it at the rate of one meter per second squared.
second law of motion – applied force = mass x acceleration
Sir Isaac Newton (1643–1727), English mathematician and physicist.
Nissl: bodies, granules – basophil granules in cytoplasm of neuronal somata;
staining technique – specific stain for these granules.
Franz Nissl (1860–1919), neurologist successively of Frankfurt, Heidelberg and Munich,
Germany.
Nitabuch's layer or stria: layer of fibrinoid matrix between basal plate of placenta and
endometrium.
Raissa Nitabuch (19th Century), physician, Germany.
Nuck, canal of: a diverticulum of the peritoneal membrane extending into the inguinal canal,
accompanying the round ligament in the female, or the testis in its descent into the scrotum in
the male; usually completely obliterated in the female.
Anton Nuck (1650–1692), Dutch anatomist.
Nuel, spaces of: space between outer rods of Corti and hair cells. Jean Pierre Nuel (1847–1920), Professor of Otology, Louvain and later Liege, Belgium.
Oddi, sphincter of: the sphincter at the termination of the common bile duct.
Ruggero Oddi (1845–1906), surgeon, Rome, Italy. The sphincter had already been described
by Glisson (see above) in the 17th century.
Odland bodies: small lamellated structures (keratinosomes) in granular layer of epidermis,
containing hydrophobic phospholipid.
George Fisher Odland (1922–1997), American dermatologist and electron microscopist.
Ondine’s curse: primary alveolar hypoventilation.
Ondine, a sea nymph in German mythology who cursed an unfaithful human lover by
abolishing the automaticity of his bodily functions.
Onodi cell: sphenoethmoid cell formed by lateral and posterior pneumatisation of the most
posterior ethmoid cells over the sphenoid sinus.
A Onodi, 20thcentury Hungarian laryngologist.
Oppenheim’s dystonia: Oppenheim described dystonia musculorum deformans (DMD) a
movement disorder characterized by twisting or turning movements and abnormal postures.
Now called early-onset primary torsion dystonia, this condition is an autosomal dominant
disorder most commonly associated with deletion of GAG in the coding region of the DYT1
gene encoding torsinA. It has recently been suggested that the condition should be referred to
as ‘Oppenheim’s dystonia’.
Hermann Oppenheim (1858–1919), German neurologist.
Osgood–Schlatter disease: osteochondrosis of tibial tuberosity.
Robert Bayley Osgood (1873–1956), Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Harvard University,
Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Carl Schlatter (1864–1934), Professor of Surgery, Zurich, Switzerland.
Owen, contour lines of: accentuated incremental lines in the dentin thought to be due to
disturbances in the mineralization process. Defined by parallel deviations of neighbouring
dentinal tubules.
Sir Richard Owen (1804–1892), English anatomist and paleontologist
Pacchionian bodies: arachnoid granulations.
Antoine Pacchion (1665–1726), physician and anatomist, Rome, Italy.
Pacinian corpuscles: corpuscular lamellosum.
Filippo Pacini (1812–1883), Professor of Anatomy and Physiology successively at Pisa and
then Florence, Italy.
Pancoast tumour: apical carcinoma of the lung involving C8 and T1 nerves, the cervical
sympathetic chain and upper ribs.
Henry Pancoast (1875–1939), Professor of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, USA.
Paneth cells: bacteriocidal lysozyme-secreting cells.
Joseph Paneth (1857–1890), Professor of Physiology first in Breslau, then Vienna, Austria.
Papez circuit: a neuroanatomical circuit mediating emotion, involving the hippocampal
formation, mammillary body, anterior nuclei of the thalamus and cingulate gyrus.
James Wenceslas Papez (1883–1958), neurologist, USA.
Parkinson’s syndrome/disease: resting tremor, rigidity, expressionless face etc. generally
caused by degeneration of dopaminergic neurones in the substantia nigra, usually occurring in
late life.
James Parkinson 1755–1824 English physician
Passavant's: muscle – upper fibres of palatopharyngeus;
ridge (bar) – projecting ridge, or bar, on posterior wall of pharynx which appears during
swallowing.
Phillip Gustav Passavant (1815–1893), surgeon, Frankfurt, Germany.
Peyer's patches: lymphoid aggregates in the ileum.
Johann Conrad Peyer (1653–1712), Professor of Logic, Rhetoric and Medicine in
Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
Peyronie’s disease: induration of the corpora cavernosa of the penis, producing a fibrous
chordee.
François de la Peyronie (1678–1747), French surgeon.
Pfeiffer’s syndrome: a congenital syndrome characterized by craniostenosis, abnormal skull
shape, facial anomalies, syndactyly of hands and feet, and broad thumbs and great toes.
Rudolf Arthur Pfeiffer (b. 1931), German human geneticist, Saarbrücken.
Pierre Robin sequence: micrognathia, U-shaped cleft palate, glossoptosis.
Pierre Robin (1867–1950), French dentist.
Poirier, space of: a few of the fibres of the radioscaphocapitate ligament (a carpal ligament)
attach to the body of the capitate. There is a discrete interval between the inferior margin of
this ligament and the palmar horn of the lunate which is known as the space of Poirier.
Paul Poirier (1853–1907), French surgeon.
Potter’s syndrome: a rare condition combining a characteristic facial appearance with renal
agenesis or hypoplasia and other defects.
Edith Louise Potter, early 20
th
century American paediatric surgeon.
Pringle manoeuvre: the application of digital or mechanical pressure across the entire free edge
of the lesser omentum resuting in complete, temporary occlusion of the hepatic portal vein,
hepatic artery and common bile duct.
J. Pringle the Elder(1863 – 1941), famous Australian surgeon.
Prussak’s: fibres – elastic and connective tissue fibre bounding the pars flaccida membranae
tympani; space – superior recess of the tympanic membrane.
Alexander Prussak (1839–1897), Russian otologist.
Purkinje: cells, neurons – large neurones forming a single eponymous layer in cerebellar
cortex;
fibres – subendocardial muscle fibres.
Johannes Purkinje (1787–1869), Professor of Physiology, Breslau and then Prague, Poland.
Ramsay Hunt syndrome: herpes zoster involvement of the geniculate ganglion associated with
facial paresis, hyperacusis, unilateral loss of taste, decrease in lacrimation and salivation and
otalgia.
James Ramsay Hunt (1874–1937), Professor of Neurology, Columbia University, New York,
USA.
Ranvier, nodes of: gaps between adjacent segments of myelin sheath, where axonal plasma
membrane is exposed.
Louis Antoine Ranvier (1835–1922), Parisian pathologist.
Raschkow’s plexus: a plexus of myelinated nerve fibers located between the core of the pulp of
the tooth and the cell-rich zone; axons lose their myeline sheath (but not their Schwann cells)
as they penetrate the cell-rich and cell-free zones to make synaptic contact with the
odontoblast cell body in the pulp or odontoblastic process within the dentinal tubule;
responsible for transmitting pain sensation from the pulp of the tooth.
Rasmussen’s encephalitis: rare, progressive, inflammatory CNS disorder.
Theodore Brown Rasmussen (1910–2002), American neurologist, Utah.
Rathke's pouch: diverticulum of roof of stomodaeum which forms the anterior pituitary gland.
Martin Heinrich Rathke (1793–1860), Professor of Zoology and Anatomy, Königsberg,
Germany.
Rayleigh scatter: scattering of light or other electromagnetic radiation by particles much smaller
than the wavelength of the light.
John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh OM (1842–1919), Cavendish Professor of Physics,
University of Cambridge.
Raynaud’s disease: idiopathic paroxysmal bilateral cyanosis of the digits due to arterial and
arteriolar contraction, caused by cold or emotion.
Maurice Raynaud (1834–1881), French physician.
Reichert’s cartilage: A cartilage in the mesenchyme of the second branchial arch in the embryo,
from which develops the stapes, the styloid processes, the stylohyoid ligaments and the lesser
cornua of the hyoid bone.
Karl Bogislaus Reichert (1811–1883), German anatomist.
Reinke's: crystals – rod-shaped crystals in the interstitial cells of the testis and hilus cells of the
ovary; oedema – chronic laryngitis with swelling of the membranous part of the vocal cords.
space – a potential space between the vocal ligament and the overlying mucosa.
Friedrich Berthold Reinke (1862–1919), anatomist, France.
Reissner's membrane: the vestibular membrane of the cochlea.
Ernst Reissner (1824–1878), Professor of Anatomy in Dorpat and then Breslau.
Renshaw's cells, loop: inhibitory interneurones modulating the response of anterior horn cells.
Birdsy Renshaw (1911–1948), neurologist, USA.
Retzius' lines (or striae): brown lines in the dental enamel.
Gustav Magnus Retzius (1842–1919), Professor of Anatomy, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm,
Sweden. (Son of Andreas Adolf Retzius 1796–1860, who described the cave of Retzius – the
retropubic space – also Professor of Anatomy, Karolinska.)
Rexed's lamina: subdivisions of cells of spinal cord grey matter.
Bror Rexed (1914–?), neuroanatomist, Sweden.
Riolan, arc of: the anastomosis between the middle and left colic arteries.
Jean Riolan (secondus) 1577–1657, Professor of Anatomy and Botany, Paris, France. A great
teacher, but rejected the doctrines of William Harvey. Son of Jean Riolan (primus) of Paris.
Romberg’s sign: swaying of the body or falling when standing with the feet close together and
the eyes closed.
Moritz Heinrich Romberg (1795–1873), German physician.
Rosenmüller, fossa of: the pharyngeal recess.
Johann Christian Rosenmüller (1779–1820), Professor of Anatomy and Surgery, Leipzig,
Germany.
Rosenthal's canal: spiral canal in the modiolus of the cochlea.
Isidor Rosenthal (1836–1915), physiologist, Greifswald, Germany.
Rotter's node: lymph node between pectoralis major and minor.
Josef Rotter (1857–1924), surgeon, Germany.
Ruffini endings (bodies, corpuscles): sensory nerve endings, originally described in skin of
fingers.
Angelo Ruffini (1887–1929), Professor of Histology, Bologna, Italy.
Saethre–Chotzen syndrome: acrocephalosyndactyly type III. A very rare disorder characterized
by the following traits: fusion of cranial structures which sometimes produces an asymmetric
head and face; low-set hairline; ptosis and/or widely spaced eyes; ‘beaked’ nose and possible
deviated septum; brachydactyly and syndactyly may be present.
Haakon Saethre (b. 1931), Norwegian psychiatrist.
F. Chotzen (b. 1932), German psychiatrist.
Santorini: duct of – the accessory pancreatic duct; fissures of – two fissures in the anterior cartilaginous wall of the external acoustic meatus;
plexus of – retropubic venous plexus giving rise to pudendal vein.
Giovanni Domenico Santorini (1681–1737), Professor of Medicine and Anatomy, Venice,
Italy.
Sattler’s layer: layer of medium-sized blood vessels in the choroid derived from the short
posterior ciliary arteries.
Hubert Sattler (1844–1928), Professor of Ophthalmology, Leipzig University Eye Hospital.
Scarpa's: fascia – the fibrous layer of the superficial fascia of the lower abdomen;
ganglion – the vestibular ganglion.
Antonio Scarpa (1747–1832), Professor of Anatomy, Padua, Italy.
Schaffer collaterals: the projections from pyramidal cells of fields CA3 and CA2 to CA1 in the
hippocampus.
Max Schaffer (1852–1923), German neurologist.
Scheuermann’s osteochondritis/disease/kyphosis: osteochondrosis of the vertebrae.
Holger Werfel Scheuermann (1834–1915), German biochemist.
Schiff’s stain, reagent: stain for aldehydes, used with periodic acid (PAS) to detect
carbohydrates.
Hugo Schiff (1834–1915), German biochemist.
Schlemm, canal of: canal at junction of the cornea and sclera.
Freidrich Schlemm (1795–1858), Professor of Anatomy, Berlin, Germany.
Schmidt–Lanterman incisure or cleft: helical inclusion of glial cytoplasm within the myelin
sheath of central and peripheral nerves
Henry Schmidt (1823–1888), pathologist, Charity Hospital, New Orleans, USA.
A J Lanterman (19th Century), anatomist, Strasbourg, France.
Schütz, fasciculus of: the dorsal longitudinal fasciculus.
Hugo Shutz, neurologist, Leipzig, Germany
Schwann cells: the major glial cell of the peripheral nervous system.
Theodor Schwann (1810–1882), Professor of Anatomy first in Louvain and then Liege,
Belgium. One of the instigators of the cell theory.
Seessel’s pouch: an outpouching of the embryonic pharynx rostrad of the pharyngeal membrane and
caudal to Rathke's pouch.
Albert Seessel (1850–1910), American embryologist.
Semon’s law: an obsolete law stating that injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve results in
paralysis of the abductor muscles of the vocal cords before paralysis of the adductor muscles.
Sir Felix Semon (1849–1921), German laryngologist in Britain.
Sertoli: cells – supporting cells of the testicular tubules; Enrico Sertoli (1842–1910), Professor of Experimental Physiology, Milan, Italy.
Sharpey's fibres: connective tissue joining periosteum to bone.
William Sharpey (1802–1880), Professor of Anatomy successively in Edinburgh and
University College, London, UK.
Skene’s glands: paraurethral ducts of the female urethra.
Alexander Johnston Chalmers Skene (1838–1900), New York gynaecologist.
Skoog, fibres of: transverse fibres of the palmar aponeurosis of the hand.
Tord Skoog (1915–1977), Foundation Professor of Plastic Surgery, University of Uppsala,
Sweden.
Spence’s tail: the projection of mammary glandular tissue extending into the axillary region,
sometimes forming a visible mass which may enlarge premenstrually or during lactation.
James Spence, 19thcentury Scottish surgeon.
Sprengel’s deformity: congenital elevation of the scapula with rotation of its lower angle
towards the spine.
Otto Gerhard Karl Sprengel (1852–1915), German surgeon.
Stahl's deformity: congenital deformity of the ear – broad helix, fossa of the antihelix and upper
scaphoid fossa are both absent.
Friedrich Stahl (1811–1879), Physician, Germany.
Sylvian: aqueduct – midbrain channel connecting the third and fourth cerebral ventricles;
fissure – the lateral cerebral fissure;
François de la Boe Sylvius (1614–1672), Professor of Medicine, Leyden, The Netherlands.
Tamm–Horsfall protein: The most abundant protein in normal urine.
Igor Tamm (1922–1995), New York virologist.
Frank Lappin Horsfall (1906–1971), American clinician and virologist.
Taussig–Bing anomaly/syndrome/disease: complete transposition of the aorta, which arises
from the left right ventricle.
Helen B. Taussig (1898–1986), American paediatrician.
Richard Bing (b. 1909), American physician.
Tay–Sachs disease: lysosomal storage disorder affecting neurons.
Warren Tay (1843–1927), London ophthalmologist.
Bernard Sachs (1858–1944), New York neurologist.
Tenon's capsule: fascial sheath of the eyeball.
Jaques René Tenon (1724–1816), Professor of Pathology, Academy of Sciences, Paris,
France. Chief Surgeon, Salpetrière, Paris. Specialized in ophthalmology.
Terry Thomas sign: scapholunate dissociation: intercalated segment instability, removes the
inbuilt tension across the proximal row. This causes the gap (so called Terry Thomas sign)
between the scaphoid and lunate.
Terry Thomas (1911 – 1990), British Comedian
Testut, ligament of: radio-scaphoid-lunate connection.
Leo Testut (1849–1925), Professor of Anatomy, Lyons, France.
Thebesian: valve – valve at orifice of coronary sinus;
veins – venae cordis minimae of heart.
Adam Christian Thebesius (1686–1732), anatomist and pathologist, Leyden, The Netherlands.
Todaro, tendon of: a variable tendinous strand attached to the valvular fold at the termination of
the inferior vena cava. It forms the superior border of the triangle of Koch.
Francesco Todaro (1839–1918), Professor of Anatomy at Messina and then Rome, Italy.
Towne's projection: positioning of the head in the radiological examination of the foramen
magnum and posterior cranial fossa.
Edward Towne (1883–1957), neurosurgeon, Stanford Medical School, USA.
Treacher Collins syndrome: mandibulofacial dysostosis.
Edward Treacher Collins (1862–1932), English surgeon.
Treitz, ligament of: 'suspensory' ligament of peritoneum passing from the right crus of the
diaphragm to the fourth part of the duodenum.
Wenzel Treitz (1819–1872), Professor of Pathology successively at Cracow and Prague,
Czechoslovakia.
Trendelenburg's sign, gait: dipping gait due to hip abductor dysfunction, e.g. in congenital
dislocation of the hip or paralysis of gluteus medius and minimus.
Friedrich Trendelenburg (1844–1924), Professor of Surgery successively at Rostock, Bonn
and Leipzig, Germany.
Treves, bloodless fold of: peritoneal fold adjacent to mesoappendix.
Sir Frederick Treves (1853–1923), surgeon, London Hospital, UK. Drained the appendix
abscess of King Edward VII in 1902.
Trolard – canal of: as they course under the most lateral aspect of the lesser sphenoid wing, the
anterior branches of the middle meningeal vessels are contained for a short distance within a
bony canal, the sphenoparietal canal (of Trolard), which they leave to enter a groove on the
internal surface of the parietal squama;
Paulin Trolard (1842–1910), French anatomist.
Turner’s syndrome: a disorder of gonadal differentiation, marked by short stature,
undifferentiated (streak) gonads and variable abnormalities that may include webbing of the
neck, low posterior hair line, and cardiac defects. Chromosome abnormalities may be
responsible. Henry Hubert Turner (1892–1970), American endocrinologist.
Valsalva: aortic sinuses of – the aortic sinuses.
manoeuvre – any forced expiratory effort (‘strain’) against a closed airway, whether at the
nose and mouth or at the glottis.
Antonio Maria Valsalva (1666–1723), Professor of Anatomy, Bologna, Italy.
van Gieson technique (elastic van Gieson technique): solution of trinitrophenol and acid
fuchsin for connective tissue elastin.
Ira Thompson van Gieson (1866–1913), New York neuropathologist.
Vater, ampulla of: ampulla at junction of common hepatic and pancreatic ducts.
Abraham Vater (1684–1751), Professor of Anatomy, Botany, Pathology and Therapeutics,
Wittenburg, Germany.
Vesalius, foramen of: small foramen for emissary vein immediately anterior and medial to the
foramen ovale in the sphenoid bone.
Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564), Professor of Anatomy, Padua, Italy. In 1543 published De
Humani Corporis Fabrica, the most famous text of anatomy.
Vidian nerve: nerve of the pterygoid canal.
Guido Guidi Vidius (1500–1561), Professor of Medicine, Pisa, Italy.
Vieussens, anulus of: ansa subclavia of sympathetic nerves.
Raymond de Vieussens (1641–1715), physician and anatomist, Montpellier, France.
Virchow–Robin space: perivascular space in the central nervous system.
Rudolf Ludwig Virchow (1821–1902), Professor of Pathological Anatomy, Würzburg and then
Berlin, Germany.
Charles Filippe Robin (1821–1885), Professor of Histology, Paris, France.
Voigt’s (or Futcher’s) lines: the hair tracts
Christian August Voigt (1809–1890), Professor of Anatomy, Vienna, Austria.
Volkmann's: canals – osseous canals carrying blood vessels from the periosteum and between
osteons;
ischaemic contracture – a permanent flexion contracture of the hand at the wrist, resulting in
a claw-like deformity of the hand and fingers.
Alfred Wilhelm Volkmann (1800–1877), Professor of Anatomy and Physiology first at Dorpat
and later Halle.
von Brunn's nests: ectopic (subepithelial) urothelial masses in the urinary tract.
Albert Von Brunn (1849–1872), Professor of Anatomy, Göttingen, Germany.
von Ebner's: fissure – in the development of the back, sclerotomal populations form from the
ventral half of the epithelial somite. An intrasegmental boundary (fissure or cleft, sometimes
termed von Ebner’s fissure) that is initially filled with extracellular matrix and a few cells, appears within the sclerotome and divides it into loosely packed cranial and densely packed
caudal halves.
glands – serous glands in relation to the circumvallate papillae on the dorsum of the tongue;
lines – incremental lines of dentine.
Victor Ritter von Rosenstein Ebner (1842–1925), Professor of Histology and Embryology,
Innsbruck, Austria.
von Willebrand factor: factor released from endothelial cells and platelets, promoting platelet
adhesion and blood clotting. Deficient or defective factor production (usually inherited as an
autosomal dominant trait) causes von Willebrand disease,
Erik Adolf von Willebrand (1870–1949), Finnish haematologist; described the eponymous
hereditary clotting disorder in 1926.
Waardenburg type II syndrome: deafness syndrome associated with pigmentary disturbances.
A group of heterogeneous entities distinguished from Waardenburg type I syndrome by the
absence of dystopia canthorum.
Petrus Johannes Waardenburg (1886–1979), Dutch ophthalmologist and geneticist.
Waldeyer's: sheath – adventitia of distal segments of the ureter;
ring – a ring of lymphoid tissue which includes the palatine, pharyngeal, tubal and lingual
tonsils.
Heinrich Wilhelm Waldeyer (1836–1921), Professor of Pathology at Breslau and then Berlin,
Germany.
Wallenberg's syndrome: lesion of the lateral medullary region of the brain stem.
Adolf Wallenberg (1862–1949), physician, Germany.
Wallerian degeneration: degeneration of the distal segment of a nerve fibre and its myelin
sheath following injury.
Augustus Volney Waller (1816–1870), British neurophysiologist.
Wartenberg’s disease/sign/symptom: radial sensory nerve entrapment.
Robert Wartenberg (1866–1956), American neurologist.
Weigert, staining technique of: stain for nerve fibres.
Karl Weigert (1845–1904), Frankfurt histologist.
Wernicke's: speech area – motor speech area in superior temporal lobe of cerebral cortex;
syndrome – An encephalopathy syndrome characterized by mental and ocular disorders, and
ataxia. Mental disturbances include listlessness, disorientation, confusion, hallucinations,
Korsakoff psychosis, and other behavioural symptoms.
Karl Wernicke (1848–1904), Psychiatrist at Breslau and then Halle, Germany.
Wharton's: duct – duct of the submandibular salivary gland;
jelly – homogenous intercellular substance of the umbilical cord; gives reaction for mucin and
contains thin collagenous fibres which increase in number with the age of the fetus. Thomas Wharton (1614 –1673), physician and anatomist, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK.
Remained on duty there during the Great Plague of 1665.
Whitnall's tubercle: tubercle on the orbital surface of the zygomatic bone.
Samuel Ernest Whitnall (1876–1950), Professor of Anatomy successively at McGill
University, Montreal, Canada, and Bristol, UK.
Wiebel–Palade bodies: rod-shaped storage granules in endothelial cells.
Euald Wiebel (contemporary), physician, Switzerland.
George Emil Palade (1912 - 2008), born in Romania, cytologist, Rockefeller Institute, New York, New
York, USA, Nobel Prize for Medicine, 1974.
Howard Williams, 20th century Australian physician.
Peter E Campbell, 20thcentury Australian physician.
Willis, circle of: the arterial anastomosis at the base of the brain.
Thomas Willis (1621–1675), physician to King James II, practised first in Oxford, then
London, UK.
Winslow, foramen of: the epiploic foramen leading to the lesser sac.
Jacob B Winslow (1669–1760), Professor of Anatomy and Surgery, Paris, France.
Wirsung, duct of: main pancreatic duct.
J G Wirsung (1642–?), Prosector in Anatomy, Padua.
Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome: primary immunodeficiency resulting from X-linked recessive
mutation.
Alfred Wiskott (1898–1978), German paediatrician.
Robert Anderson Aldrich (1917–1998), American paediatrician.
Wolffian: body – the mesonephros;
duct – the mesonephric duct.
Caspar Wolff (1733–1794), born in Berlin, Professor of Anatomy, St Petersburg, Russia, one
of the pioneers of embryology.
Wolff’s law: changes in the stresses on bones are reflected in their internal structure.
Julius Wolff (1836–1902), Berlin orthopaedic surgeon.
Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome: bundle-branch block with short P-R interval in healthy
young people prone to paroxysmal tachycardia.
John Parkinson (1885 – 1976), English cardiologist.
Paul Dudley White (1886 – 1973), American cardiologist.
Louis Wolff (1898 – 1972), American cardiologist.
Wolfring, glands of: small tubuloalveolar glands in the subconjunctival tissue above the upper
border of the tarsal plate.
Emilij Franzevic von Wolfring (1832–1906), Polish ophthalmologist.
Wormian bones: small bones which occasionally occur along the labdoid suture of the human
skull (also called sutural bones).
Ole Worm (1588–1654), Danish physician, Professor of Medicine, University of Copenhagen.
Wright’s stain: a mixture of eosin and methylene blue, used for demonstrating blood corpuscles
and malarial parasites.
James Homer Wright (1869–1928), Harvard pathologist.
Wrisberg, ligament of: band attached to posterior cruciate ligament of the knee.
Heinrich August Wrisberg (1739–1808), Professor of Anatomy, Göttingen, Germany.
Zeis, glands of: modified rudimentary sebaceous glands attached directly to the follicles of the
eyelashes.
Edward Zeis (1807–1868), German ophthalmologist.
Zellweger syndrome: inherited defect in peroxisome biogenesis and functioning.
Hans Ulrich Zellweger (1909–1990), Swiss-American paediatrician.
Zinn/Haller, circle (or zonula) of: an (often incomplete) vascular circle within the sclera
formed by branches of the short posterior ciliary arteries, whose centripetal branches supply
the laminar region of the optic nerve head.
Johann Gottfried Zinn (1727–1759), Professor of Medicine and Director of Botanical
Gardens, Göttingen, Germany.
Victor Albrecht von Haller (1708–1777), Professor of Anatomy, Physiology, Surgery and
Botany, University of Göttingen, Germany.
Zuckerkandl: fascia of – the retrorenal fascia;
tuberculum of – the first modern and accurate descriptions of the paranasal sinuses can be
traced to the works of the late 19thcentury Austrian anatomist.
Emil Zuckerkandl (1849–1910), Professor of Anatomy at Graz and then Vienna, Austria.
Many of the eponyms listed above are described in more detail in Firkin BG, Whitworth JA
2001 Dictionary of Medical Eponyms. London: Parthenon.
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