Dr. John Skandalakis

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A Moment in History

Georg Eduard Von Rindfleisch
(1836 – 1908)

German pathologist and histologist of Bavarian nobility ancestry. Rindfleisch studied medicine in Würzburg, Berlin, and Heidelberg, earning his MD in 1859 with the thesis “De Vasorum Genesi” (on the generation of vessels) under the tutelage of Rudolf Virchow (1821 - 1902). He then continued as a assistant to Virchow in a newly founded institute in Berlin. He then moved to Breslau in 1861 as an assistant to Rudolf Heidenhain (1834–1897), becoming a professor of pathological anatomy. In 1865 he became full professor in Bonn and in 1874 in Würzburg, where a new pathological institute was built according to his design (completed in 1878), where he worked until his retirement in 1906.

He was the first to describe the inflammatory background of multiple sclerosis in 1863, when he noted that demyelinated lesions have in their center small vessels that are surrounded by a leukocyte inflammatory infiltrate.

After extensive investigations, he suspected an infectious origin of tuberculosis - even before Robert Koch's detection of the tuberculosis bacillus in 1892. Rindfleisch 's special achievement is the description of the morphologically conspicuous macrophages in typhoid inflammation. His distinction between myocardial infarction and myocarditis in 1890 is also of lasting importance.

Associated eponyms

"Rindfleisch's folds": Usually a single semilunar fold of the serous surface of the pericardium around the origin of the aorta. Also known as the plica semilunaris aortæ.

"Rindfleisch's cells": Historical (and obsolete) name for eosinophilic leukocytes.

Personal note: G. Rindfleisch’s book “Traité D' Histologie Pathologique” 2nd edition (1873) is now part of my library. This book was translated from German to French by Dr. Frédéric Gross (1844-1927) , Associate Professor of the Medicine Faculty in Nancy, France. The book is dedicated to Dr. Theodore Billroth (1829-1894), an important surgeon whose pioneering work on subtotal gastrectomies paved the way for today’s robotic bariatric surgery. Dr. Miranda.

Sources:
1. "Stedmans Medical Eponyms" Forbis, P.; Bartolucci, SL; 1998 Williams and Wilkins
2. "Rindfleisch, Georg Eduard von (bayerischer Adel?)" Deutsche Biographie
3. "The pathology of multiple sclerosis and its evolution" Lassmann H. (1999) Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 354 (1390): 1635–40.
4. “Traité D' Histologie Pathologique” G.E.
Rindfleisch 2nd Ed (1873) Ballieres et Fils. Paris, Translated by F Gross

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Details: Written by: Efrain A. Miranda, Ph.D.; Published: July 02, 2015; Hits: 5058

This article is part of the series "A Moment in History" where we honor those who have contributed to the growth of medical knowledge in the areas of anatomy, medicine, surgery, and medical research.

Dr. John E. Skandalakis

John E. Skandalakis, MD, PhD, FACS (1920-2009). Born in Greece, Dr. Skandalakis studied Medicine in Athens. During WWII he fought with the Greek Resistance earning a medal from the Greek government. In the USA Dr. Skandalakis obtained an additional degree in Anatomy, becoming one of the few surgeon-anatomists of our age. An extraordinary teacher, Dr. Skandalakis authored over 300 publications, including journal publications and books¹. He is well known for his publications on surgical anatomy related to hernia procedures.

I had the pleasure and the opportunity of meeting and speaking with Dr. John Skandalakis a few times. He always impressed me with his dedication to Clinical Anatomy and his passion for the importance of Anatomy in Surgery. During the 1999 meeting of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists.

In 1992, Dr Skandalakis was awarded the title of "An Immortal" by the Academy of Athens, an award reserved for excellent achievement in the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities. This award has its origins from the time of Plato².

The Journal of Clinical Anatomy published an "In Remembrance" article on Dr. Skandalakis and his life. I strongly recommend it to anyone who would like to know more about the life and works of Dr. Skandalakis. His picture in this page is a link to The Centers for Surgical Anatomy and Technique of the Emory University School of Medicine.

I was saddened by the news of his passing, but he will be remembered by all those he touched in his life: family, patients, students, and peers. I am also sure that his legacy will go on through his writings, and by those who like me, influence and teach others with his knowledge. I am honored to have met him. Dr. Miranda

Original image of Dr. John E. Skandalakis courtesy of the the Centers for Surgical Anatomy and Technique.

Sources:
1. "Obituary: Dr. John Skandalakis, 1920-2009" Jones, G. Hernia (2010) 14: 79-80
2. "In Remembrance: John Elias Skandalakis,MD,PhD,FACS (1920–2009)Loukas,M; Colborn,L; Tubbs: RS Clin Anat 23:332–334 (2010)

Dr. John Skandalakis

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