Behçet’s Disease

Other Known Aliases – Silk Road Disease

Definition – systemic inflammatory disorder that commonly effects the eyes, mouth, GI/GU tract, nervous system, and blood vessels

Clinical Significance – Pathogenesis is largely unknown, but theorized to have a genetic predisposition. It is rare in the United States and more common in the Middle East and Asia, where it received is other eponym as the “silk road disease” due to the trading routes going through Turkey and the Mediterranean. Onset of the disease in most commonly in 20’s-40’s and is more common in men than women. Treatment is most commonly antiinflammatories and immunosuppressants.

History – Named after Hulusi Behçet (1889-1948), a Turkish dermatologist who received his medical doctorate from the Gülhane Military Medical Academy in Istanbul in 1910. He served as staff physician at the Edirne Military Hospital during World War I and took a special interest in venereal diseases and dermatology. He would go on to become professor in the newly formed republic of Turkey and was the first person in Turkish academia to receive this rank. He took a special interest in the manifestations of syphilis and published extensively on this condition. He described is eponymous condition in 1936 after following several patients with similar symptoms and presenting them at meeting in Paris. It should be noted that several others had described this condition, as early as 1922, but Behçet was the first to recommend it as a previously undiscovered disease process.

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. H. Behçet. Über rezidivierende, aphtöse, durch ein Virus verursachte Geschwüre am Mund, am Auge und an den Genitalien. Dermatologische Wochenschrift, Hamburg, 1937, 105(36): 1152-1163.

Osgood-Schlatter Disease

Other Known Aliases – tibial tubercle apophysitis

Definition – inflammation of the patellar tendon at the insertion of the tibial tuberosity

Clinical Significance – Seen in adolescent athletes who participates in sports with repeated jumping or overloading of the knee in the bent position. This repetitive trauma on the open growth plates causes the painful separation of the tuberosity from the anterior tibia and manifests as a painful “bump”. Pain will persist until the epiphysis closes, but a persistent bump will remain. Treatment is with rest, NSAIDs, unloading bracing, and potentially casting in knee extension.

History – Named after two physician who contemporaneously studied this condition. Robert Bayley Osgood (1873-1956), an American orthopaedic surgeon who received his medical doctorate from Harvard University in 1899, and Carl Schlatter (1863-1934), a Swiss surgeon who received his medical doctorate from the University of Zurich in 1889. Osgood would spend his career at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital culminating in Professor of Surgery and Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery at both of these institutions. He would help write one of the first textbooks on orthopaedic surgery called “Diseases of the Bones and Joints” and creating one of the first structured orthopaedic residencies in the US at Harvard University. Schlatter surgery training started under Billroth in Vienna and would go on to perform the world’s first gastrectomy with end-to-end esophago-jejunostomy in 1897. Both published case reports and observations of this disease process in 1903

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. Nowinski RJ, Mehlman CT. Hyphenated history: Osgood-Schlatter disease. Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ). 1998; 27(8):584-5. [pubmed]
7. Osgood RB. Lesions of the tibial tubercle occurring during adolescence. Boston Medical and Surgical Journal 1903; 148: 114-117
8. Schlatter C. Verletzungen des schnabelförmigen Forsatzes der oberen Tibiaepiphyse. Beitrage zur klinischen Chirurgie, 1903; 38: 874-887

Galeazzi Fracture

Other Known Aliases – none

Definition – fracture of the distal third of the radius with dislocation at the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) often seen after a FOOSH with the forearm in pronation

Clinical Significance – Due to the dual injury mechanism, there is a higher than normal risk fo compartment syndrome and nerve injury seen with this injury, specifically the anterior interosseous nerve (AIN). This can lead to to inability to make the “OK” sign with the thumb and index finger. Patients may also present with wrist drop due to injury of the radial nerve. Often described with Monteggia fractures due to the similar, but opposite injury patterns.

History – Named after Ricardo Galeazzi (1866-1952), an Italian orthopaedic surgeon who received his medical doctorate from the Turin Medical School in 1886. His career would primarily focus on pediatrics making advancements in the understanding in congenital hip dysplasia, scoliosis, and achondroplasia after being appointed Director of the Pius Institute for Crippled Children in 1903, and going on to direct the orthopaedic clinic of the University of Milan for 35 years. He would publish his experience of 18 cases bearing his name in 1935, but it should be noted that it was first published in 1842 by Sir Astley Cooper.

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. Galeazzi R. Archivio di ortopedia pubblicazione ufficiale del Pio istituto dei rachitici. Istituto ortopedico Gaetano Pini. 1935. [link]
7. SCAGLIETTI O. Riccardo Galeazzi, 1866-1952. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1953; 35-B(4):679-80. [pubmed]