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Jean George Bachmann
(1877 – 1959)
French physician–physiologist whose experimental work in the early twentieth century provided the first clear functional description of a preferential interatrial conduction pathway. This structure, eponymically named “Bachmann’s bundle”, plays a central role in normal atrial activation and in the pathophysiology of interatrial block and atrial arrhythmias.
As a young man, Bachmann served as a merchant sailor, crossing the Atlantic multiple times. He emigrated to the United States in 1902 and earned his medical degree at the top of his class from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1907. He stayed at this Medical College as a demonstrator and physiologist. In 1910, he joined Emory University in Atlanta. Between 1917 -1918 he served as a medical officer in the US Army. He retired from Emory in 1947 and continued his private medical practice until his death in 1959.
On the personal side, Bachmann was a man of many talents: a polyglot, he was fluent in German, French, Spanish and English. He was a chef in his own right and occasionally worked as a chef in international hotels. In fact, he paid his tuition at Jefferson Medical College, working both as a chef and as a language tutor.
The intrinsic cardiac conduction system was a major focus of cardiovascular research in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The atrioventricular (AV) node was discovered and described by Sunao Tawara and Karl Albert Aschoff in 1906, and the sinoatrial node by Arthur Keith and Martin Flack in 1907.
While the connections that distribute the electrical impulse from the AV node to the ventricles were known through the works of Wilhelm His Jr, in 1893 and Jan Evangelista Purkinje in 1839, the mechanism by which electrical impulses spread between the atria remained uncertain.
In 1916 Bachmann published a paper titled “The Inter-Auricular Time Interval” in the American Journal of Physiology. Bachmann measured activation times between the right and left atria and demonstrated that interruption of a distinct anterior interatrial muscular band resulted in delayed left atrial activation. He concluded that this band constituted the principal route for rapid interatrial conduction.
Subsequent anatomical and electrophysiological studies confirmed the importance of the structure described by Bachmann, which came to bear his name. Bachmann’s bundle is now recognized as a key determinant of atrial activation patterns, and its dysfunction is associated with interatrial block, atrial fibrillation, and abnormal P-wave morphology. His work remains foundational in both basic cardiac anatomy and clinical electrophysiology.
Sources and references
1. Bachmann G. “The inter-auricular time interval”. Am J Physiol. 1916;41:309–320.
2. Hurst JW. “Profiles in Cardiology: Jean George Bachmann (1877–1959)”. Clin Cardiol. 1987;10:185–187.
3. Lemery R, Guiraudon G, Veinot JP. “Anatomic description of Bachmann’s bundle and its relation to the atrial septum”. Am J Cardiol. 2003;91:148–152.
4. "Remembering the canonical discoverers of the core components of the mammalian cardiac conduction system: Keith and Flack, Aschoff and Tawara, His, and Purkinje" Icilio Cavero and Henry Holzgrefe Advances in Physiology Education 2022 46:4, 549-579.
5. Knol WG, de Vos CB, Crijns HJGM, et al. “The Bachmann bundle and interatrial conduction” Heart Rhythm. 2019;16:127–133.
6. “Iatrogenic biatrial flutter. The role of the Bachmann’s bundle” Constán E.; García F., Linde, A.. Complejo Hospitalario de Jaén, Jaén. Spain
7. Keith A, Flack M. The form and nature of the muscular connections between the primary divisions of the vertebrate heart. J Anat Physiol 41: 172–189, 1907.
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The root term [-phor-] arises from the Greek word [φέρω] meaning “to bear”, “well”, and “healthy”. The meaning of the word today in medical terminology is “well-being”. The addition of the adjectival suffix [-ia] meaning “pertaining to” add to form [-phoria] meaning “pertaining to well-being” or “feeling well”. It is used in terms such as:
• Euphoria: The prefix [eu-] means “good”. The sensation of feeling good, of good well-being
• Dysphoria: The prefix [dys-] means “abnormal”. Abnormal feelings of well-being. In psychiatry these dysphoric moments can be seen in bipolar patients.
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The term [intervertebral] means "between vertebrae", and [foramen] means "opening". The intervertebral foramina are bilateral openings between adjacent vertebrae. Each intervertebral foramen is found between adjacent pedicles ("P" in the large image), bound by the inferior vertebral notch and the superior vertebral notch of adjacent pedicles.
Although the term [intervertebral foramen] has been used for a long time, the concept has evolved to a more modern "intervertebral canal" or as some clinicians call it, the "lateral canal". The reason for this is that the intervertebral foramen is actually a tunnel whose length is determined by the width of the pedicles. This intervertebral canal has marked differences between the lateral, middle, and medial structures contained in the intervertebral canal.
Some of these structure are nerve roots, the dorsal root ganglion, the initial portion of the spinal nerve, dural sac, arteries, veins, recurrent nerves, fat, and a complex system of transforaminal and intraforaminal ligaments1. The structures contained in the intervertebral foramen can be compressed if the height of the intervertebral discs is compromised, or by a herniation of the intervertebral disc. The diameter of the intervertebral canal can also be reduced by bone and joint pathology.
If you hover over the image, the intervertebral foramen will be highlighted. For a larger version click on the image.
Images property of: CAA.Inc. Photographer: D.M. Klein
1 Thoracic and lumbar intraforaminal ligaments Akdemir, G.; J Neurosurg Spine 13:351-355, 2010
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A cyst is a sac-like structure filled with fluid. One of the many types of cysts that can be present in the human body is a Nabothian cyst.
Nabothian cysts are found on the uterine cervix, and are caused by the clogging of the cervical glands, also referred to as the Nabothian glands. These small cysts are usually found in two types of presentations. The first are serous filled cysts, and are seen as clear fluid-filled sacs on the surface of the cervix. In the accompanying image, these are depicted with a yellow circle.
The second type of Nabothian cysts are sacs filled with a yellowish, more dense and mucous-like fluid on the surface of the cervix. In the accompanying image, there is only one of these cysts and is depicted with a red circle.
The presence of Nabothian cysts is quite normal, they are not dangerous and are not cancerous. When present and when large, they may impede a gynecological exam and obscure the cervical os, the entrance to the uterus through the cervical canal. In the image the cervical os is indicated by a blue arrow. A gynecologist may need to open and drain these cysts prior to performing a Pap smear (named after Dr. George Papanicolau).
Nabothian cysts are named after Dr. Martin Naboth (1675 - 1721), a German physician and anatomist. His main publication in 1707 was “De Sterilitate Mulierum” (On Sterility in Women). In this book he refers to small pearl-like transparent structures found in the uterine cervix. Believing that he had discovered the way women store eggs, he called these “ovarium novum” (new ovaries). His discovery was accepted by many and these structures came to be known as “Ovula Nabothii“. Today we know this is not true, but his name remains attached eponymically to these structures.
My personal thanks toDr. Sanford Osher and his patient who volunteered and provided the image for this article. Dr. Miranda
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This prefix originates from the Greek word [περί] (per?) meaning “about” or “around”. In medical terminology we use it to mean “around”.
Some uses of the term are:
- Pericardium: The root term [-card-] means “heart”, while the suffix [-ium] means “layer” or “membrane”. The layer or membrane around the heart.
- Periodontal: The root term [-odont-] means “tooth”, while the adjectival suffix [-al] means “pertaining to”. Around a tooth.
- Perineurium: The root term [-neur-] means “nerve”, while the suffix [-ium] means “layer” or “membrane”. The layer or membrane around a nerve. Also known as the epineurium.
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[UPDATED] These two terms are synonyms, but they have different etymology. [Stenosis] arises from the Greek [στενός] (stenos) meaning "narrow". Since the suffix [-osis] means "condition of", the word [stenosis] means a "condition of narrowing".
The synonym [stricture] arises from the Latin term [strictus] meaning "narrow", "restricted" or "constriction". Both terms refer to the narrowing of an anatomical structure, as in "coronary artery stenosis", or the "stenosis of an anastomosis".
A common mistake is to confuse [stenosis] and [stricture] with "blockage" or "obstruction". Although an stenotic vessel is partially obstructed, there is still flow and it is not a complete obstruction.
Sources:
1. "The Language of Medicine" John H. Dirckx Pub: Harper & Row 1976
2. "Medical Meanings" Haubrich, William S. Am Coll Phys Philadelphia 1997
3. "The origin of Medical Terms" Skinner, AH, 1970
Note: The links to Google Translate in these articles include an icon that will allow you to hear the Greek or Latin pronunciation of the word.
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UPDATED: The root term [-gnos-] has origin in the Greek word [γνώση] (gn??si?) meaning "knowledge". Here are two terms that use this root in medical terminology:
- Diagnosis: the prefix [dia-] means "complete" or "total". The suffix [-(o)sis] means "condition" or "situation". The word means "a situation of complete knowledge", referring to the clear identification of a pathology that ails a patient.
- Prognosis: the prefix [-pro-] means "forward". The terms means "forward knowledge" and refers to the clinical pathway of a pathology and/or treatment.