Medical Terminology Daily (MTD) is a blog sponsored by Clinical Anatomy Associates, Inc. as a service to the medical community. We post anatomical, medical or surgical terms, their meaning and usage, as well as biographical notes on anatomists, surgeons, and researchers through the ages. Be warned that some of the images used depict human anatomical specimens.
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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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The word [version] comes from the Latin [versum / vertere] meaning "to turn" or "to turn around" (see the use of this Latin root in the word "vertebra"). In anatomy, version is the angulation (or turning) of an organ or a structure as a unit. The term is also used to denote the "turning" of a fetus "in utero" by active manipulation to allow proper birth.
Normally, the cervix of the uterus is anteversed or has an "anterior version". This means that the body and uterine cervix are tilted anteriorly (as a unit). Because of this in a female in the anatomical position, the fundus of the uterus looks almost anteriorly, while the main axis of the cervix points towards the coccyx. See the accompanying image.
The opposite, pathological presentation, is retroversion, where the uterus as a unit is tilted posteriorly. The angulation between the main axis of the uterine body and the main axis of the cervix is normal, but the organ as a unit is tilted posteriorly. Varying degrees of retroversion can cause varying degrees of infertility, a condition known vernacularly as a "slippery uterus".
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The word [forceps] is used to denote a grasping-type surgical instrument. The origin of the word has been heavily discussed. It seems that it arises from the combination of the Latin terms [formus], meaning "hot" and [capere]. meaning "to hold", a device to hold something hot. Originally, the word was first used by Roman blacksmiths and was a pair of articulated tongs.
In modern terminology, the singular and plural form for the word is the same: [forceps], although there is an older plural form that is sometimes used: [forcipes]
According to Skinner (1970) the first forceps used in the medical arena were dental extraction forceps. The number of surgical forceps has increased over time. Today there are many types of forceps. Following are some of them:
- Thumb forceps: Tissue (toothed) or dressing (serrated) forceps
- Hemostatic forceps: Forceps designed for hemostasis and dissection. These usually have a locking mechanism and are of the ring-handle type
- Obstetrical forceps: Articulated forceps use to deliver a fetus
- Sponge forceps: Forceps to be used with swabs and sponges
- Right-angle forceps: A family of forceps which have an angled jaw (not necessarily right-angled) used for dissection, hemostasis, and grasping
- Specialty forceps: Forceps that have been especially designed for use on an organ or a specific step of a surgical procedure, such as hysterectomy forceps, tenacula, lung forceps, liver forceps, etc.
Click on the image to see a better detail of the anatomy of a hemostatic forceps.
Sources:
1. "The Origin of Medical Terms" Skinner 1970
2. Codman: Surgical Product Catalog 2000
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The posterior communicating artery is a bilateral artery that communicates the internal carotid artery with the posterior cerebral artery. This creates an anastomosis between the vascular arterial territory of the vertebral artery and that of the internal carotid artery, completing the arterial circle of Willis.
The posterior communicating artery has high variability in its diameter, which can be thin or extremely thick, including the fact that you can find a thin one on one side of the brain and a thick one contralaterally. It is one of the sites for intracranial aneurysm. For more information on the anatomical variations of the posterior communicating artery click here.
Sources:
1. "An Overview of Intracranial Aneurysms" Keedy, A Mcgill J Med. 2006 July; 9(2): 141–146
2. "Observations on the length and diameter of the arteries forming the circle of Willis" Kamath S 1981 J Anat 133; 3:419-423"
3. "Aneurysms of the posterior communicating artery and oculomotor paresis" Sonil, SR J Neurol Neurosurg Psych 1974;37(4): 475–484
Image in the public domain, modified from the original courtesy of Wikipedia.
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The root term [-cost-] arises from the Latin [costa / costalis] meaning "rib". First used by Galen, this root term is used in medical words such as:
- Costochondral: A combination of root terms, adding [-chondr-] meaning "cartilage". Refers to the joint between the bony rib and its cartilage
- Costal margin: Refers to the lower anterior margin of the thorax formed by the cartilage of ribs 7 through 10
- Intercostal: The prefix [inter-] means "between". Between ribs
- Subcostal: The prefix [sub-] means "below". Below the rib
- Costovertebral joint: A joint between the head of a rib(s) and a vertebra(e)
- Costotransverse joint: A joint between the articular portion of the tubercle of a rib and the transverse process of a vertebra
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The root term [-chondr-] arises from the Greek [χόνδρος] or [chondros] meaning "cartilage" or "gristle". The Latin equivalent is [cartilago] giving us the synonymous root term [-cartilag-]. This root term is used in medical words such as:
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Thoracic rib, Posteroinferior view
The ribs form the lateral bony wall of the thorax. The ribs are paired and there are 12 pairs of ribs in the human thorax, most of them connecting the thoracic spine with the sternum. They are numbered from superior to inferior.
Ribs have different anatomical characteristics depending on their level. A typical rib has the following characteristics from posterior to anterior:
• Head: The head of each rib articulates with one or two ribs depending on their level. Typically ribs number 1,2, 10, 11, and 12 articulate with one vertebra, while the rest articulate with two vertebrae.
• Facets: These are the articular surfaces found in the head of each rib. They are covered by hyaline cartilage and form part of the costovertebral synovial joints. In the case of ribs 3 to 9, since they articulate with two vertebrae, they have two facets, each one called a demifacet, with an interarticular crest between them.
• Neck: A short, somewhat narrower portion of the rib that projects straight posterolaterally.
• Costal tubercle: A bony protuberance, usually with two components, one articular and one non-articular. The articular part of the costal tubercle presents with a facet that articulates with the transverse process of a thoracic vertebra.
• Costal angle: A sharp posterior curvature of the rib. The body when supine rests of these costal angles which deflect pressure from the thoracic spine.
• Costal body: The area of the rib anterior to the costal angle. In most ribs this oval-shaped region of the rib presents with an inferior and internal groove. This is the costal groove or costal sulcus. The corresponding level intercostal artery, vein, and nerve are found in the costal sulcus.
• Costal cartilage: All ribs have an anterior fibrocartilaginous component. Some of them attach directly to the sternum (chondrosternal joints), while some of them attach only to other costal cartilages (chondrochondral joints).
The 12 pairs of ribs are divided as follows:
• True ribs: Ribs 1-7, which attach by way of their costal cartilage directly to the sternum
• False ribs: Ribs 8-10, whose costal cartilage attach only to the cartilage of the superior rib, creating a lower border for the thoracic cage known as the costal margin.
• Free or "floating" ribs: Ribs 11 and 12. Their anterior cartilaginous end does not attach to sternum or other cartilage, so the end is free. The term "floating" although used, is a misnomer as these ribs do attach posteriorly to the thoracic spine.
There can be anatomical variations to the ribs, including the existence of extra cervical or lumbar ribs.
Sources:
1 "Tratado de Anatomia Humana" Testut et Latarjet 8 Ed. 1931 Salvat Editores, Spain
2. "Anatomy of the Human Body" Henry Gray 1918. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger
Original image courtesy of bartleby.com. For more information: click here