Eponyms

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Tanner Stages

Other Known Aliases – sexual maturity rating

Definition – scale of physical development in children, adolescents, and adults based on primary and secondary sex characteristics

Clinical Significance – every patient will progress through each of the five stages during development, but due to innate individual variability, the rate and timing of each of the stages is highly variable. There are both a male and female scale and evaluates breast and testicular size, genitals, and pubic hair distribution.

History – Named after James Mourilyan Tanner (1920-2010), a British pediatric endocrinologist who received his medical doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in 1944, as well as a fellowship in endocrinology from Johns Hopkins as a result of a Rockefeller exchange grant program. A supurb hurdler and athlete prior to WWII, he likely would have competed in the in 1940 Olympics. Following his training stateside, he would return to England to oversee a national study on the effects of malnutrition on children. While documenting and analyzing the data, he noticed a trend of secondary physical characteristics as children and adolescents developing into adulthood. This led to a 20-year longitudinal study on human development and the publication of his eponymous staging system in 1962 in his classic textbook “Growth at Adolescence”.

References

  1. Firkin BG and Whitwirth JA.  Dictionary of Medical Eponyms. 2nd ed.  New York, NY; Parthenon Publishing Group. 1996.
  2. Bartolucci S, Forbis P.  Stedman’s Medical Eponyms.  2nd ed.  Baltimore, MD; LWW.  2005.
  3. Yee AJ, Pfiffner P. (2012).  Medical Eponyms (Version 1.4.2) [Mobile Application Software].  Retrieved http://itunes.apple.com.
  4. Whonamedit – dictionary of medical eponyms. http://www.whonamedit.com
  5. Up To Date. www.uptodate.com
  6. James Mourilyan Tanner. Royal College of Physicians. https://history.rcplondon.ac.uk/inspiring-physicians/james-mourilyan-tanner
  7. Growth at Adolescence, 2nd ed. (1962) Oxford: Blackwell Scientific.

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Sertoli Cells

Other Known Aliases – none

Definition – sustentacular cell of the convoluted seminiferous tubule of the testes

Clinical Significance – these cells are activated by FSH to produce and mature sperm during spermatogenesis

History – Named after Enrico Sertoli (1842-1910), who was an Italian physiologist and histologist and received his medical doctorate from the University of Pavia in 1865. His love and passion for histology was groomed while training under Eusebio Oehl, who was an early pioneer in microscopic anatomy and histopathology. He would go on to become professor of anatomy and physiology at the Royal School of veterinary medicine in Milan and it was here that he founded the laboratory of experimental physiology. In 1865, during his tenure in Milan, he published the paper describing his eponymous cell.

References

  1. Firkin BG and Whitwirth JA.  Dictionary of Medical Eponyms. 2nd ed.  New York, NY; Parthenon Publishing Group. 1996.
  2. Bartolucci S, Forbis P.  Stedman’s Medical Eponyms.  2nd ed.  Baltimore, MD; LWW.  2005.
  3. Yee AJ, Pfiffner P. (2012).  Medical Eponyms (Version 1.4.2) [Mobile Application Software].  Retrieved http://itunes.apple.com.
  4. Whonamedit – dictionary of medical eponyms. http://www.whonamedit.com
  5. Up To Date. www.uptodate.com
  6. Sertoli E. Dell’esistenza di particolari cellule ramificate nei canalicoli seminiferi del testicolo umano. Morgagni, 1865; 7: 31-40

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Fournier’s Gangrene

Other Known Aliases – none

Definition – necrotizing fasciitis of the external genitalia and/or perineum

Clinical Significance – this infection commonly affects older men and is associated with diabetes mellitus or a compromised immune system. Other risk factors include trauma or surgery to the perineal area, alcoholism, and childbirth. Pain, erythema, crepitus, and fever are common findings and treatment is aggressive surgical debridement and antibiotics to cover anaerobic and facultative pathogens.

History – Named after Jean Alfred Fournier (1832-1914), who was a French dermatologist and venereologist, and received his medical doctorate in 1860 while studying in Paris. He would begin his career as an understudy of Philippe Ricord at the Hôpital du Midi and would later become médecine des hôpitaux at the famed Hôtel-Dieu de Paris. It was in 1883 when he presented a case series of patients with gangrene of perineum and for which this eponym is attributed, although it was first described and published in 1764 by Baurienne. He is best known for his work with congenital syphilis (for which he has two additional eponyms) and advancing the study of venereal diseases and their connection to degenerative diseases.

References

  1. Firkin BG and Whitwirth JA.  Dictionary of Medical Eponyms. 2nd ed.  New York, NY; Parthenon Publishing Group. 1996.
  2. Bartolucci S, Forbis P.  Stedman’s Medical Eponyms.  2nd ed.  Baltimore, MD; LWW.  2005.
  3. Yee AJ, Pfiffner P. (2012).  Medical Eponyms (Version 1.4.2) [Mobile Application Software].  Retrieved http://itunes.apple.com.
  4. Whonamedit – dictionary of medical eponyms. http://www.whonamedit.com
  5. Up To Date. www.uptodate.com
  6. Fournier, J.A. Gangrène foudroyante de la verge. La Semaine Médicale. 3 1883;(56): 345–347
  7. Toodayan N. Jean Alfred Fournier (1832-1914): His contributions to dermatology. http://www.odermatol.com/issue-in-html/2015-4-32/
  8. Waugh MA. Alfred Fournier, 1832-1914. His influence on venereology. Br J Vener Dis. 1974; 50(3):232-6. [PDF]

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Kienböck Disease

Other Known Aliases – none

Definition – avascular necrosis of the lunate

Clinical Significance – most often results from trauma with biomechanical and vascular abnormalities that lead to progressive bone death. Patients will report wrist pain with decreased range of motion and grip strength. MRI is best for early diagnosis and treatment depends on the stage of disease using the Lichtman Classification system.

History – Named after Robert Kienböck (1871-1953), who was an Austrian radiologist and received his medical doctorate from the University of Vienna in 1895. He would explore the new and blossoming field of radiology before becoming the head of the radiological department at Vienna General Hospital before becoming professor of radiology in 1926. He was a pioneer in the use of x-rays for medical diagnosis and would co-found the Vienna Radiology Society in 1923. He would publish his eponymous condition in 1910 in his treatise Über traumatische Malazie des Mondbeins und ihre Folgezustände (Traumatic malacia of the lunate and its consequences).

References

  1. Firkin BG and Whitwirth JA.  Dictionary of Medical Eponyms. 2nd ed.  New York, NY; Parthenon Publishing Group. 1996.
  2. Bartolucci S, Forbis P.  Stedman’s Medical Eponyms.  2nd ed.  Baltimore, MD; LWW.  2005.
  3. Yee AJ, Pfiffner P. (2012).  Medical Eponyms (Version 1.4.2) [Mobile Application Software].  Retrieved http://itunes.apple.com.
  4. Whonamedit – dictionary of medical eponyms. http://www.whonamedit.com
  5. Up To Date. www.uptodate.com
  6. Orthobullets. Kienbock Disease. https://www.orthobullets.com/hand/6050/kienbocks-disease
  7. Wagner JP, Chung KC. A Historical Report on Robert Kienböck and Kienböck Disease. The Journal of Hand Surgery. 2005;30(6):1117-1121. [link]
  8. Kienböck R. Über traumatische Malazie des Mondbeins und ihre Folgezustände: Entartungsformen und Kompressionfrakturen. Fortschritte auf dem Gebiete der Röntgenstrahlen. 1910–1911; 16: 77-103.

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Monteggia Fracture

Other Known Aliases – none

Definition – proximal 1/3 ulnar fracture with radial head dislocation

Clinical Significance – This type of injury pattern is most commonly seen with FOOSH injuries and is more common in children than adults with a peak incidence of 4-10 years of age. There are four different classifications depending on the injury pattern. There is also high incidence of neurovascular compromise and a good bedside exam is paramount prior to surgical repair.

History – Named after Giovanni Battista Monteggia (1762-1815), who was an Italian surgeon and received his medical doctorate from the University of Pavia in 1789 at the age of seventeen. He would begin his career as a surgery apprentice at the Great Hospital in Milano in 1790 culminating in professor of anatomy and surgery in 1795. His knowledge of anatomy and skill as a surgeon impressed his a very famous colleague at the University of Pavia, one Antonio Scarpa. He published his eponymous injury in 1814 in his textbook entitled “Institziono Chirurgiche”. Of note, the first radiograph was not taken until 1895.

References

  1. Firkin BG and Whitwirth JA.  Dictionary of Medical Eponyms. 2nd ed.  New York, NY; Parthenon Publishing Group. 1996.
  2. Bartolucci S, Forbis P.  Stedman’s Medical Eponyms.  2nd ed.  Baltimore, MD; LWW.  2005.
  3. Yee AJ, Pfiffner P. (2012).  Medical Eponyms (Version 1.4.2) [Mobile Application Software].  Retrieved http://itunes.apple.com.
  4. Whonamedit – dictionary of medical eponyms. http://www.whonamedit.com
  5. Up To Date. www.uptodate.com
  6. Orthobullets. Monteggia Fractures. https://www.orthobullets.com/trauma/1024/monteggia-fractures
  7. Monteggia GB. Instituzioni Chirurgiches. Vol. 5. Maspero; Milan, Italy: 1814.

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De Quervain Tenosynovitis

Other Known Aliases – BlackBerry thumb, mother’s wrist, washerwoman’s sprain

Definition – inflammation of the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendons in the first extensor compartment at the styloid process of the radius.

Clinical Significance – The pathogenesis is not well understood, but is most accepted to be caused by repetitive activities that maintain the thumb in extension and abduction. Treatment is graded from thumb spica splinting, NSAIDs, corticosteroid injections, up to surgical release of the first extensor compartment.

History – Named after Fritz de Quervain (1868-1940), who was a Swiss surgeon and received his medical doctorate from the University of Bern in 1892. He would start his career training under Hugo Kronecker, Theodor Langhans, and Theodor Kocher, before becoming director of the surgical department at the La Chaux-de-fonds in Neuchâtel in 1897, and culminating in professor of surgery and director of the Inselspital at the University of Bern in 1918. He was a strong proponent of the generalist approach to patient care rather than the specialization of physicians and surgeons. He would describe his eponymous findings in his classic textbook series Spezielle chirurgische Diagnostik (Special Surgical Diagnosis) in 1907.

References

  1. Firkin BG and Whitwirth JA.  Dictionary of Medical Eponyms. 2nd ed.  New York, NY; Parthenon Publishing Group. 1996.
  2. Bartolucci S, Forbis P.  Stedman’s Medical Eponyms.  2nd ed.  Baltimore, MD; LWW.  2005.
  3. Yee AJ, Pfiffner P. (2012).  Medical Eponyms (Version 1.4.2) [Mobile Application Software].  Retrieved http://itunes.apple.com.
  4. Whonamedit – dictionary of medical eponyms. http://www.whonamedit.com
  5. Up To Date. www.uptodate.com
  6. Spezielle chirurgische Diagnostik. Leipzig, 1907; 9th edition, 1931.

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Finkelstein’s Test

Other Known Aliases – Eichoff’s test

Definition – physical examination maneuver that is used to diagnose de Quervain’s tenosynovitis.

Clinical Significance – this maneuver is performed by deviating the wrist in the ulnar direction while pushing the thumb towards the palm. A positive illicits pain along the radial aspect of the wrist along the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendons.

History – Named after Henry Finkelstein (1883-1975), who was an American surgeon and recieved his medical doctorate from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1904. He would go on to have a modest career in orthopaedic surgery serving as a consultant at Beth Israel Hospital and chief of orthopaedic surgery at Trinity Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. He also was one of the original founding staff of the Hospital for Joint Diseases (now known as NYU Langone Orthopaedic Hospital). He published his eponymous maneuver in a manuscript entitled “Stenosing tendovaginitis at the radial styloid process” in 1930.

References

  1. Firkin BG and Whitwirth JA.  Dictionary of Medical Eponyms. 2nd ed.  New York, NY; Parthenon Publishing Group. 1996.
  2. Bartolucci S, Forbis P.  Stedman’s Medical Eponyms.  2nd ed.  Baltimore, MD; LWW.  2005.
  3. Yee AJ, Pfiffner P. (2012).  Medical Eponyms (Version 1.4.2) [Mobile Application Software].  Retrieved http://itunes.apple.com.
  4. Whonamedit – dictionary of medical eponyms. http://www.whonamedit.com
  5. Up To Date. www.uptodate.com
  6. Finkelstein H. Stenosing tendovaginitis at the radial styloid process. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 1930, 12: 509-540 [link]
  7. https://www.nytimes.com/1975/01/25/archives/dr-harry-finkelstein-91-orthopedic-surgeon-dies.html

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Ghon Focus and Complex

Other Known Aliases – none

Definition – radiographic finding in primary tuberculosis where cellular and biochemical reaction to the infection forms a nodular granulomatous structure (focus) which can enlarge and invade adjacent lymphatics and hilar lymph nodes (complex).

Clinical Significance – this finding on radiography is pathognomonic for primary active tuberculosis

History – Named after Anton Ghon (1866-1936), who was an Austrian pathologist and recieved his medical doctorate from the University of Graz in 1890. He would spend his entire career in pathology and bacteriology culminating in full professorship at the University of Prague in 1910. He frist published his eponymous findings in his 1912 work entitled “Der primäre Lungenherd bei der Tuberkulose der Kinder”. Unfortunately, we would go on to die from tuberculous pericarditis in 1928

References

  1. Firkin BG and Whitwirth JA.  Dictionary of Medical Eponyms. 2nd ed.  New York, NY; Parthenon Publishing Group. 1996.
  2. Bartolucci S, Forbis P.  Stedman’s Medical Eponyms.  2nd ed.  Baltimore, MD; LWW.  2005.
  3. Yee AJ, Pfiffner P. (2012).  Medical Eponyms (Version 1.4.2) [Mobile Application Software].  Retrieved http://itunes.apple.com.
  4. Whonamedit – dictionary of medical eponyms. http://www.whonamedit.com
  5. Up To Date. www.uptodate.com
  6. Der primäre Lungenherd bei der Tuberkulose der Kinder. Berlin & Wien, Urbach & Schwarzenberg, 1912.
  7. Ober WB. Ghon but not forgotten: Anton Ghon and his complex. Pathol Annu. 1983; 18 Pt 2:79-85. [pubmed]

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Cheyne-Stokes Respirations

Other Known Aliases – none

Definition – oscillating, crescendo-decrescendo pattern of progressive deeper and faster breathing followed a gradual decrease culminating in a period of apnea

Clinical Significance – this pattern is theorized to be a delay in changes to ventilation after detection of PaCO2 changes. This lag causes the classic respiratory pattern. Conditions associated with this include cardiac disease, neurologic disease, sedation, acid-base disturbances, prematurity in infancy, and rapid altitude changes.

History – Named after John Cheyne (1777-1836) , who was a British surgeon and received his medical doctorate at the age of 18 from Edinburgh University. He would serve as a military surgeon for several years before joining his father’s medical practice and ultimately, moving to Dublin for the majority of his career. Some have credited him as “The Father of Medicine in Ireland”. He would describe his eponymous findings in his 1818 article entitled ” A case of apoplexy in which the fleshy part of the heart was converted to fat”

William Stokes (1804-1878), was an Irish physician and received his medical doctorate from the University of Edinbugh in 1825. He was a leader and pioneer in the adaptation of the Parisian school of anatomical diagnosis and helped introduce the stethoscope to clinical practice in Ireland. He would note his eponymous findings in his 1854 textbook entitled ” The Diseases of the Heart and Aorta” and cited Dr. Cheyne as observing this first.

References

  1. Firkin BG and Whitwirth JA.  Dictionary of Medical Eponyms. 2nd ed.  New York, NY; Parthenon Publishing Group. 1996.
  2. Bartolucci S, Forbis P.  Stedman’s Medical Eponyms.  2nd ed.  Baltimore, MD; LWW.  2005.
  3. Yee AJ, Pfiffner P. (2012).  Medical Eponyms (Version 1.4.2) [Mobile Application Software].  Retrieved http://itunes.apple.com.
  4. Whonamedit – dictionary of medical eponyms. http://www.whonamedit.com
  5. Up To Date. www.uptodate.com
  6. Cheyne J. A case of apoplexy in which the fleshy part of the hear was converted into fat. Dubin Hospital Records. 1818;2:216-223. [link]
  7. Stokes W. The Diseases of the Heart and the Aorta. 1954. Dublin. [link]

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Light’s Criteria

Other Known Aliases – none

Definition – set of laboratory findings in pleural effusions that helps differentiate the fluid as transudative or exudative

Clinical Significance – after performing a diagnostic thoracentesis, the fluid can be sent to the lab for biochemical analysis. The results of this analysis can tell the medical team the whether the fluid is transudative or exudative, which can narrow down the causes and provide a diagnostic schema for management.

History – Named after Richard W. Light, a practicing pulmonologist from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. He received his medical doctorate from Johns Hopkins University in 1968 and completed his residency and fellowship there in 1972. He would spend the next 20 years at UC-Irvine building his international reputation as an expert on pleural diseases. He is the author and editor for 16 current textbooks, including the gold standard textbooks Pleural Diseases and The Textbook of Pleural Diseases, as well as authored more than 450 peer reviewed articles. His eponymous criteria were first introduced in 1972 in an article he published as a fellow in the Annals of Internal Medicine….his very first paper as a physician.

References

  1. Firkin BG and Whitwirth JA.  Dictionary of Medical Eponyms. 2nd ed.  New York, NY; Parthenon Publishing Group. 1996.
  2. Bartolucci S, Forbis P.  Stedman’s Medical Eponyms.  2nd ed.  Baltimore, MD; LWW.  2005.
  3. Yee AJ, Pfiffner P. (2012).  Medical Eponyms (Version 1.4.2) [Mobile Application Software].  Retrieved http://itunes.apple.com.
  4. Whonamedit – dictionary of medical eponyms. http://www.whonamedit.com
  5. Up To Date. www.uptodate.com
  6. Light RW, Macgregor MI, Luchsinger PC, Ball WC Jr. Pleural effusions: the diagnostic separation of transudates and exudates. Ann Intern Med. 1972; 77(4):507-13. [pubmed]
  7. Biography of Richard Light. https://respiratory.annualcongress.com/ocm/2019/richard-w-light-vanderbilt-university-nashville
  8. Newman JH. Giants in chest medicine: Richard W. Light, MD. Chest. 2014; 146(5):1152-1154. [pubmed]