Glossary of eponyms
Although eponyms should be avoided, they are in frequent use and a
guide to their meaning is useful. This glossary provides a list of
anatomical eponyms, many of which are in common usage. The chief source
has been J. Dobson, Anatomical Eponyms, 2nd ed., Livingstone,
Edinburgh, 1962. Biographical notes concerning the workers commemorated
in this glossary are given by Dobson, as are citations of the
publications in which the structures are described. Note that not all
attributions of the same name are to a single person (e.g., Meckel,
Petit).
Adam's apple - laryngeal prominence.
Adamkiewicz, artery of - a large anterior radicular artery from an
intercostal or lumbar branch of the aorta; it supplies the lumbar
enlargement of the spinal cord.
Addison's place - transpyloric plane.
Alberran's gland - the portion of the median lobe of the prostate
immediately underlying the uvula of the urinary bladder.
Albini's nodules - tiny nodules on the margins of the mitral and
tricuspid valves.
Alcock's canal - pudendal canal.
Allen, fossa of - a fossa on the neck of the femur.
Ammonis (Ammon), cornu - hippocampus.
Arantius, bodies of (corpora arantii) - nodules of the aortic and
pulmonary valve.
Arantius, venous canal of (canalis arantii) - ductus venosus.
Arnold's nerve - auricular branch of the vagus.
Auerbach's ganglia - ganglia in the myenteric plexus.
Auerbach's plexus - myenteric plexus.
Ball's valves - anal valves.
Bartholin's ducts - sublingual ducts that open into the submandibular
duct.
Bartholin's glands - greater vestibular glands.
Bauhin's glands - anterior lingual glands.
Bauhin's valve - ileocecal valve.
Bell's muscle - the muscular strands from the ureteric orifices to the
uvula, bounding the trigone of the urinary bladder.
Bell's nerve - long thoracic nerve.
Bellini's ducts - orifices of collecting tubules of the kidney.
Bellini's tubules - collecting tubules of the kidney.
Bertin's columns - renal columns.
Bertin's ligament - iliofemoral ligament.
Bichat's ligament - lower part of the dorsal sacroiliac ligament,
sometimes known as the transverse iliac ligament.
Bigelow's ligament - iliofemoral ligament.
Billroth's cords - arrangement of red pulp in the spleen.
Blandin, glands of - anterior lingual glands.
Botallo's duct - ductus arteriosus.
Botallo's foramen - foramen ovale of the heart.
Botallo's ligament - ligamentum arteriosum.
Bourgery's ligament - oblique popliteal ligament.
Bowman's capsule - glomerular capsule.
Bowman's glands - serous glands in the olfactory mucous membrane.
Bowman's membrane - anterior limiting lamina of the cornea.
Breschet's bones - suprasternal ossicles.
Broca's convolution - inferior frontal gyrus of the left cerebral
hemisphere.
Brodel's bloodless line - the line of division on the kidney, between
the areas supplied by the anterior and posterior branches of the renal
artery.
Brodie's bursa - bursa of the semimembranosus tendon.
Bruch's membrane - basal lamina of the choroid.
Briicke's muscle - meridional fibers of the ciliary muscle.
Brunn's cell nests - epithelial cell masses in the male urethra.
Brunner's glands - duodenal glands.
Buck's fascia - deep fascia of the penis.
Burns' ligament - falciform margin of the fascia lata at the saphenous
opening.
Burns' space - fascial space above the jugular notch of the sternum.
Calot, triangle of - cystohepatic triangle.
Camper's fascia - superficial layer of the subcutaneous tissue
(superficial fascia) of the abdomen.
Chassaignac's space or bursa - the retromammary space between the deep
layer of subcutaneous tissue and the pectoralis major.
Chassaignac's tubercle - carotid tubercle on the sixth cervical
vertebra.
Chopart's joint - transverse tarsal joint.
Civinini, foramen of - pterygospinous foramen.
Cleland's cutaneous ligaments - cutaneous ligaments of the digits.
Cloquet's canal - hyaloid canal.
Cloquet's gland - lymph node in the femoral ring.
Cloquet's septum - femoral septum.
Cloquet's fascia - membranous layer of the superficial perineal fascia.
Colles' ligament - reflected inguinal ligament.
Cooper's Ligament - (1) pectineal ligament; (2) suspensory ligament of
the breast.
Corti, ganglion of - spiral ganglion.
Corti, organ of - spiral organ.
Cowper's glands - bulbo - urethral glands.
Cruveilhier's nerve - vertebral nerve.
Cruveilhier's plexus - plexus formed by the dorsal rami of the first
three spinal nerves: "posterior cervical plexus".
Deaver's windows - fat-free portions of the mesentery framed by
vascular arcades adjacent to the attached margin of the gut.
Denonvillier's fascia - rectovesical septum.
Descemet's membrane - posterior limiting lamina of the cornea.
Dorello's canal - foramen formed by the attachment of the petroclinoid
ligament across the notch at the petrosphenoid junction; it contains
the abducent nerve.
Douglas, fold of - rectouterine fold line of - the arcuate line of the
posterior layer of the sheath of the rectus abdominis.
Douglas, pouch of - rectouterine pouch.
Dupuytren's fascia - palmar fascia.
von Ebner's glands - serous glands near the vallate papillae.
Edinger-Westphal nucleus - part of the oculomoto nucleus in the
midbrain.
Ellis' muscle - corrugator cutis ani muscle.
Eustachian (Eustachi) tube - auditory tube (strictly, its cartilaginous
part).
Fallopian (Falloppio) canal or aqueduct _ facial canal.
Fallopian ligament or arch - inguinal ligament.
Fallopian tube - uterine tube.
Farabeuf, triangle of - area of the neck bounded by the internal
jugular vein, facial vein, and hypoglossal nerve.
Ferrein's pyramids - medullary rays of the kidney.
Flack's node - sinuatrial node.
Flood's ligament - superior glenohumeral ligament.
Folian (Folius) process (processus folii) _ anterior process of the
malleus.
Fontana, spaces of - spaces of the iridocorneal angle.
Frankenhauser's ganglion - uterovaginal plexus of nerves.
Frankfurt plane - orbitomeatal plane.
Galen, vein of - great cerebral vein.
Gartner's duct - longitudinal duct of the epoophoron.
Gasserian (Gasser) ganglion - semilunar ganglion of the trigeminal
nerve.
Gerdy's ligament - suspensory ligament of the axilla.
Gerlach's tonsil - tubal tonsil.
Gerota's capsule or fascia - renal fascia.
Gimbemat's ligament - lacunar ligament.
Giraldes, organ of - paradidymis.
Glaserian (Glaser) fissure - petrotympanic fissure.
Glisson's capsule - fibrous capsule of the liver.
Golgi apparatus or complex - a system of cytoplasmic membranous
organelles or lipochondria.
Golgi corpuscles - proprioceptive endings in tendons.
Golgi-Mazzoni corpuscles - corpuscular nerve endings.
Graafian (de Graat) follicle - vesicular ovarian follicle.
Gruber, ligament of - petroclinoid ligament.
Grynfeltt's triangle - triangle bounded by the posterior border of the
internal oblique muscle, the anterior border of the quadratus lumborum,
and above by the twelfth rib.
Guerin's valve or valvule - a fold of mucous membrane in the navicular
fossa of the urethra.
Guthrie's muscle - sphincter urethrae.
Haller's ductulus aberrans - diverticulum of the canal of the
epididymis.
Haller's layer - vascular lamina of the choroid.
Haller's rete - rete testis.
Hannover, spaces of - zonular spaces.
Harris' lines - transverse lines in long bones near the epiphysis,
sometimes seen radiographically.
Hartmann's critical point - site on the large intestine where the
lowest sigmoid artery anastomoses with the superior rectal artery.
Hasner, valve of - lacrimal fold.
Haversian (Havers) canals - spaces in compact bone.
Haversian glands or folds - synovial pads or fringes of synovial
membrane consisting largely of intra-articular fat.
Haversian lamellae - bony layers surrounding a Haversian canal.
Haversian system - a Haversian canal and its surrounding lamellae, the
structural unit of bone (osteon).
Heister's valve - spiral folds of the cystic duct.
Henle's ligament - lateral expansion of the lateral edge of the rectus
abdominis, together with transversalis fascia and the transversus
aponeurosis; it forms the medial boundary of the femoral ring.
Henle's loop - looped portion of the renal tubule.
Henle's spine - suprameatal spine.
Herophili (Herophilus), torcular of - confluence of the sinuses.
Hesselbach's fascia - cribriform fascia.
Hesselbach's ligament - interfoveolar ligament; a thickening of the
transversalis fascia (and possibly of the extraperitoneal tissue around
the inferior epigastric vessels) extending from the inner edge of the
deep inguinal ring upward along the inferior epigastric vessels, toward
the arcuate line.
Hesselbach's triangle - inguinal triangle.
Heubner, artery of - a recurrent branch of the anterior cerebral
artery.
Hey's ligament - falciform margin of the fascia lata at the saphenous
opening.
Highmore, antrum of - maxillary sinus.
Highmore, body of - mediastinum testis.
Hilton's line - the white line in the anal canal.
His, bundle of - atrioventricular bundle.
Homer's muscle - lacrimal part of the orbicularis oculi.
Houston's fold or valve - the middle one of the three transverse rectal
folds.
Humphrey, ligament of - anterior meniscofemoral ligament.
Hunter's canal - adductor canal.
Huschke, foramen of - gap in the developing tympanic ring.
Hyrtl, porus of - pterygo-alar foramen.
Jackson's membrane - a peritoneal fold or adhesion between the cecum or
ascending colon and the right abdominal wall.
Jacobson's nerve - tympanic nerve from the glossopharyngeal.
Jacobson's organ - vomeronasal organ.
Keith and Flack, node of - sinuatrial node.
Kent's bundle - atrioventricular bundle.
Kerckring's valves or valvules - circular folds of intestine.
Kiesselbach's area - site in the nose of the junction between the
septal branches of the superior labial and sphenopalatine arteries.
Killian, dehiscence of - presumed weak area between parts of the
inferior constrictor of the pharynx posteriorly.
Koch's node - sinuatrial node.
Krause, glands of - accessory lacrimal glands near the superior fornix
of the conjunctiva.
Kupffer's cells - phagocytic stellate cells lining the sinusoids of the
liver.
Labbe, vein of - inferior anastomotic vein of the brain.
Laimer, triangle of - posterior divergence between the vertical fibers
of the esophagus below the inferior constrictor of the pharnyx.
Langer's lines - cleavage lines of the skin.
Langerhaus, islets of - pancreatic islets.
Langley's ganglion - portions of the submandibular ganglion in the
submandibular gland.
Leydig's cells - interstitial cells of the testis.
Lieberkiihn's glands, crypts, or follicles _ intestinal glands.
Lieutaud's trigone - trigone of the urinary bladder.
Lisfranc's joint - tarsometatarsal joints.
Lisfranc's ligament - interosseous ligament between the second
metatarsal and the medial cuneiform bone.
Lisfranc's tubercle - scalene tubercle on the first rib.
Lister's tubercle - dorsal tubercle of the radius.
Listing's plane - equatorial plane of the eye.
Littre, glands of - urethral glands.
Lockwood's ligament - sling for the eyeball; it is formed by muscular
sheaths.
Louis, angle of - sternal angle.
Lower's tubercle - intervenous tubercle.
Ludwig's ganglion - a ganglion associated with the cardiac plexus.
Luschka, foramen of - lateral aperture of the fourth ventricle.
Luschka, glomus or glands of - glomus coccygeum.
Luschka, joint of - bilateral joint-like spaces between adjacent
cervical vertebrae; they are formed by lips on the upper surfaces of
the bodies of C3 to T1 vertebrae.
Luschka nerve of - (1) posterior ethmoidal nerve; (2) sometimes used to
refer to Luschka the sinuvertebral nerve.
Luschka tonsil of - nasopharyngeal tonsil.
McBurney's point - reputed site of maximal tenderness in appendicitis,
"between 1.
5 and 2 inches from the right anterior superior iliac spine
upon a line to the umbilicus".
Macewen's triangle - suprameatal triangle.
Mackenrodt's ligament - lateral (transverse) cervical or cardinal
ligament of the uterus.
Magendie, foramen of - median aperture of the fourth ventricle.
Maier, sinus of - common channel into which lacrimal canaliculi open.
Maissiat, bandelette of - iliotibial tract.
Malpighian (Malpighi) canal - longitudinal duct of the epoophoron.
Malpighian capsule - splenic capsule.
Malpighian corpuscles or bodies - splenic corpuscles.
Malpighian layer - germinative zone of the epidermis.
Marcille's triangle - triangle bounded by the medial margin of the
psoas major, the lateral margin of the vertebral column, and below it
by the iliolumbar ligament; it contains the obturator nerve.
Marshall's fold - fold of the left vena cava.
Marshall's vein - oblique vein of the left atrium.
Mayo's vein - prepyloric vein.
Meckel's cave - cavum trigeminale.
Meckel's ganglion - pterygopalatine ganglion.
Meckel's diverticulum - diverticulum ilei.
Meibomian (Meibom) glands - tarsal glands.
Meissner's corpuscles - specialized sensory nerve endings in the skin.
Meissner's plexus - submucous plexus.
Mercier's bar - interureteric ridge.
Merkel's corpuscles or discs - one form of sensory nerve ending, found
chiefly in the skin.
Moll, glands of - sudoriferous ciliary glands.
Monro, foramen of - interventricular foramen of the brain.
Montgomery's tubercles or glands - enlarged sebaceous glands projecting
from the surface of the areola of the nipple.
Morgagni, columns of - anal columns.
Morgagni, foramen of - (1) foramen caecum of tongue; (2) sternocostal
triangle or foramen.
Morgagni, hydatid of - appendix testis.
Morgagni, lacunae of - urethral lacunae.
Morgagni, sinus of - (1) interval between the superior constrictor and
the base of the skull; (2) ventricle of the larynx.
Muller's fibers - radial fibers in the retina.
Muller's muscle - (1) tarsal or palpebral muscle; (2) orbital muscle;
(3) circular fibers of the ciliary muscle.
Nelaton's line - a projected line extending from the anterior superior
iliac spine to the tuber of the ischium.
Nissl bodies, granules, or substance - cytoplasmic chromidial substance
of neurons (rough endoplasmic reticulum).
Nuck, canal of - patent processus vaginalis peritonei in the female.
Nuhn, gland of - anterior lingual glands.
O'Beirne's sphincter - circular muscle fibers at the junction of the
sigmoid colon and rectum.
Oddi, sphincter of - spincteric muscle fibers around the termination of
the bile duct.
Pacchionian (pacchioni) bodies - arachnoid granulations.
Pacinian (pacini) corpuscles or bodies _ lamellated corpuscles.
Passavant's ridge or bar - pharyngeal ridge.
Pawlik's triangle - an area on the anterior wall of the vagina in
contact with the base of the bladder and distinguished by the absence
of vaginal rugae.
Pecquet's cisterna - cisterna chyli.
Petit's ligaments - uterosacral ligaments.
Petit, spaces of - zonular spaces.
Petit's triangle - a "triangle of lumbar hernia" between the crest of
the ilium and the margins of the external oblique and latissimus dorsi
muscles.
Peyer's nodules - solitary lymphatic follicles.
Peyer's patches - aggregated lymphatic follicles in the ileum.
Poupart's ligament - inguinal ligament.
Prussak's space or pouch - part of the epitympanic recess between the
flaccid part of the tympanic membrane and the neck of the malleus.
Purkinje fibers - cardiac muscle fibers of the conduction system,
located beneath the endocardium.
Ranvier, nodes of - interruptions of the myelin sheaths of nerve
fibers.
Reil, island of - insula of the cerebral hemisphere.
Reisseisen's muscle - smooth muscle fibers of the smallest bronchi.
Reissner's membrane - vestibular membrane.
Remak's fibers - nonmyelinated nerve fibers.
Remak's ganglion - autonomic ganglion.
Retzius, cave of - retropubic (prevesical) space.
Retzius, veins of - retroperitoneal veins.
Riolan's anastomosis - intermesenteric arterial communication between
the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries.
Riolan's arc or arcade - (1) intermesenteric arterial communication
between the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries; (2) the part of
the marginal artery connecting the middle and left colic arteries; (3)
the mesocolon; (4) the arch of the mesocolon.
Riolan's muscle - (1) ciliary bundle of the palpebral part of the
orbicularis oculi; (2) cremaster muscle.
Rivinus, ducts of - smaller ducts of the sublingual gland.
Rivinus, notch of - gap in the tympanic ring.
Robert, ligament of - posterior meniscofemoral ligament.
Rolando, fissure of - central sulcus of the cerebral hemisphere.
Rosenmuller's fossa - pharyngeal recess.
Rosenmuller's organ - epoophoron.
Rosenthal, vein of - basal vein of the brain.
Ruffini's bodies or corpuscles - specialized sensory nerve endings,
found chiefly in deep tissues.
Santorini, cartilage of - corniculate cartilage.
Santorini, caruncula of - orifice of the accessory pancreatic duct into
the duodenum.
Santorini, duct of - accessory pancreatic duct.
Sappey's plexus - plexus of lymphatics in the areolar area of the
breast.
Sappey's veins - venous plexus in the falciform ligament of the liver.
Sattler's layer - vascular lamina of the choroid.
Scarpa's canals - lesser incisive canals.
Scarpa's fascia - membranous layer of the subcutaneous tissue of the
abdomen.
Scarpa's ganglion - vestibular ganglion.
Scarpa's nerve - nasopalatine nerve.
Scarpa's triangle - femoral triangle.
Schlemm's canal - sinus venosus sclerae.
Schneiderian (Schneider) membrane - nasal mucous membrane.
Schwalbe's pocket - depression between the tendinous arch of the
levator ani and the lateral wall of the pelvis.
Schwalbe's ring - anterior border ring of the cornea.
Schwann, sheath of - neurilemma.
Sertoli's cells - sustentacular cells of the testis.
Sharpey's fibers - connective tissue fibers penetrating bone from
periosteum and tendon.
Shenton's line - a continuous curved line seen radiographically and
formed by the margin of the obturator foramen (superior ramus of the
pubis) and the neck of the femur.
Shrapnell's membrane - flaccid part of the tympanic membrane.
Sibson's fascia - suprapleural membrane.
Sibson's muscle - scalenus minimus.
Skene's tubules or glands - the paraurethral glands of the female.
Spieghel's line - semilunar line of the muscles of the abdominal wall.
Spigelian (Spieghel) lobe - caudate lobe of the liver.
Stensen's canals - greater incisive canals.
Stensen's duct - parotid duct.
Stilling's canal - hyaloid canal.
Stroud's pecten or pectinated area - pecten of the anal canal.
Sudeck's critical point - site on the large intestine where the lowest
sigmoid artery anastomoses with the superior rectal artery.
Sylvius, aqueduct of - aqueduct in the midbrain.
Sylvius, fissure of - lateral sulcus of the cerebral hemisphere.
Sylvius, iter of - aqueduct in the midbrain.
Tawara, node of - atrioventricular node.
Tenon's capsule - fascia bulbi.
Thebesian (Thebesius) foramina (foramina thebesii) - openings of the
venae cordis minimae valve - valve of the coronary sinus.
Thebesian veins - venae cordis minimae.
Toldt's fascia - fixation of fascial planes behind the body of the
pancreas.
Traube's space - semilunar area on the chest wall over which the
stomach is tympanitic on percussion.
Treitz, fascia of - fascia behind the head of the pancreas.
Treitz, muscle or ligament of - suspensory muscle of the duodenum.
Treves, bloodless fold of - ileocecal fold.
Trolard, vein of - superior anastomotic vein of the brain.
Valsalva, sinuses of - sinuses of the aorta.
Varolii (Varolius), pons - pons of the brainstem.
Vater, ampulla of - hepatopancreatic ampulla.
Vater-Pacinian corpuscles - lamellated corpuscles.
Vater, tubercle of - greater duodenal papilla.
Verga's ventricle (cavum vergae) - posterior extension of the cavity of
the septum pellucidum.
Vesalius, foramen of (foramen vesalii) - sphenoidal emissary foramen.
Vesalianum or Os Vesalii - a separate tuberosity of the base of the
fifth metatarsal bone.
Vidian (Guido Guidi or Vidus Vidius) nerve _ nerve of the pterygoid
canal.
Vieussens, annulus of - ansa subclavia.
Virchow - Robin spaces - perivascular spaces in the brain and spinal
cord.
Waldeyer's organ - paradidymis.
Waldeyer's ring - lymphatic ring of the pharynx.
Weber's point - a point near the promontory of the sacrum that is the
center of gravity of the body.
Weitbrecht's fibers or retinaculum _ retinacular fibers of the neck of
the femur.
Weitbrecht's foramen ovale - a gap in the capsule of the shoulder joint
between the glenohumeral ligaments.
Weitbrecht's ligament - oblique cord of the proximal radioulnar joint.
Wharton's duct - submandibular duct.
Wilkie's artery - supraduodenal artery.
Willis, circle of - circulus arteriosus.
Winslow, foramen of - epiploic foramen.
Winslow, ligament of - oblique popliteal ligament.
Winslow, pancreas of - uncinate process of the pancreas.
Wirsung, duct of - pancreatic duct.
Wolfring, glands of - accessory lacrimal glands.
Wood's muscle - abductor ossis metatarsi quinti.
Wormian (Worm) bones - sutural bones.
Wrisberg, cartilage of - cuneiform cartilage.
Wrisberg, ganglion of - cardiac ganglion.
Wrisberg, ligament of - posterior meniscofemoral ligament.
Wrisberg, nerve of - (1) medial brachial cutaneous nerve; (2) nervus
intermedius of the facial nerve.
Zeis, glands of - sebaceous ciliary glands.
Zinn, annulus of - common tendinous ring of the orbit.
Zinn, zonule of - ciliary zonule.
Zuckerkandl, bodies of - paired para-aortic bodies near the origin of
the inferior mesenteric artery.