19 Urological eponyms

Anderson–Hynes pyeloplasty: dismembered pyeloplasty for PUJO.

James Anderson and Wilfred Hynes. Surgeons, Sheffield United Hospitals.

BCG (Bacille Calmette–Guérin): attenuated TB bacillus used for immunotherapy of carcinoma in situ of bladder.

Leon Charles Albert Calmette (1863–1933). A pupil of Pasteur in Paris, later becoming first director of Pasteur Institute.

Camille Guérin (b 1872). A veterinary surgeon at the Calmette Institute in Lille who, along with Calmette, developed BCG vaccine.

Bonney’s test: elevation of bladder neck during vaginal examination reduces leakage of urine during coughing (used to diagnose stress incontinence).

William Bonney (1872–1953). Studied at Barts and Middlesex Hospitals. On the staff of Royal Masonic Hospital and Chelsea Hospital for Women. A highly skilled surgeon with an international reputation.

Bowman’s capsule: epithelial-lined ‘cup’ surrounding the glomerulus in the kidney.

Sir William Paget Bowman (1816–1892). Surgeon to Birmingham General Hospital. Elected FRS in 1841. FRCS 1844. Won the Royal Medal of the Royal Society for his description of the Malpighian body of the kidney. He proposed the theory of urine production by filtration of plasma. Described as the father of histology. In 1846 became surgeon to Moorfields Eye Hospital. An early proponent of the ophthalmoscope and the first in England to treat glaucoma by iridectomy (1862).

Camper’s fascia: superficial layer of superficial fascia (fat) of abdomen and inguinal region.

Pieter Camper (1722–1789). Physician and anatomist in Leyden, The Netherlands.

Charrière system: system of measurement for ‘sizing’ catheters and stents.

Joseph Charrière (1803–1876). Surgical instrument maker in Paris.

Clutton’s sounds: metal probes for dilating the urethra (originally used for ‘sounding’ for bladder stones).

Henry Clutton (1850–1909). Surgeon to St.Thomas’s Hospital, London.

Colles fascia: superficial fascia of the perineum.

Abraham Colles (1773–1843). Professor of Anatomy and Surgery in Dublin.

Denonvilliers fascia: rectovesical fascia.

Charles Denonvilliers (1808–1872). Professor of Anatomy, Paris and later Professor of Surgery.

Dormia basket: basket for extracting stones from the ureter.

Enrico Dormia. Assistant Professor of Surgery, Milan.

Douglas, Pouch of: rectouterine pouch (in females), rectovesical pouch (in males).

James Douglas (1675–1742). Anatomist. Physician to the Queen.

Foley catheter: balloon catheter, designed to be self-retaining.

Foley pyeloplasty

Frederic Foley (1891–1966). Urologist, St Paul’s, Minnesota.

Fournier’s gangrene: fulminating gangrene of external genitalia and lower abdominal wall.

Jean Fournier (1832–1914). Professor of Dermatology, Hôpital St Louis, Paris. Also recognized the association between syphilis and tabes dorsalis.

Gerota’s fascia: the renal fascia.

Dumitru Gerota (1867–1939). Professor of Surgery, University of Budapest.

(Loop of) Henle: U-shaped segment of the nephron between the proximal and distal convoluted tubules.

Friedrich Henle (1809–1885). Professor of Anatomy, Zurich and Göttingen.

von Hippel–Lindau syndrome: syndrome of multiple renal cancers.

Eugen von Hippel (1867–1939). Ophthalmologist in Berlin.

Arvid Lindau (b 1892). Swedish pathologist.

Hunner’s ulcer: ulcer in bladder in interstitial cystitis.

Guy Hunner (1868–1957). Professor of Gynaecology, Johns Hopkins.

Jaboulay procedure: operation for hydrocele repair (excision of hydrocele sac).

Mathieu Jaboulay (1860–1913). Professor of Surgery, Lyon.

Klinefelter’s syndrome: male hypogonadism with XXY chromosome complement.

Harry Klinefelter (b 1912). Associate Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins.

Kockerization of the duodenum: mobilization of the 2nd part of the duodenum. Used to expose the inferior vena cava and right renal vein during radical nephrectomy.

Emil Kocker (1841–1917). Professor of Surgery, Berne University. A founder of modern surgery. Won the Nobel Prize in 1909 for work on the physiology, pathology, and surgery of the thyroid gland.

Lahey forceps: curved forceps used during surgery.

Frank Lahey (1880–1953). Head of Surgery, Lahey Clinic, Boston.

Langenbeck retractor: commonly used retractor during surgery.

Bernard von Langenbeck (1810–1887). Professor of Surgery, Kiel and Berlin. A great teacher and surgeon.

Leydig cells: interstitial cells of the testis.

Franz von Leydig (1821–1908). Professor of Histology, Würtzburg, Tübingen, Bonn.

Malécot catheter: large bore catheter, used for drainage of kidney following PCNL.

Achille Malécot (b 1852). Surgeon in Paris.

Millin’s prostatectomy: retropubic open prostatectomy.

Terence Millin (d 1980). Irish surgeon, trained in Dublin. Surgeon at Middlesex and Guy’s Hospitals and later, Westminster Hospital. Became President of the British Association of Urological Surgeons and then President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland.

Peyronie’s disease: fibrosis of shaft of penis, causing a bend of the penis during erection.

François Peyronie (1678–1747). Surgeon to Louis XV in Paris.

Pfannenstiel incision: suprapubic incision used for surgery to the bladder and uterus.

Hermann Pfannenstiel (1862–1909). Gynaecologist from Breslau.

(Cave of) Retzius: prevesical space.

Andreas Retzius (1796–1860). Professor of Anatomy and Physiology at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm.

Santorini’s plexus: plexus of veins on the ventral surface of the prostate.

Giandomenico Santorini (1681–1738). Professor of Anatomy and Medicine in Venice. Wrote a great work on anatomy, Observationes anatomicae, published in Venice in 1724.

Scarpa’s fascia: deep layer of the superficial fascia of the abdominal wall.

Antonio Scarpa (1747–1832). Professor of Anatomy in Modena and Pavia.

Sertoli cells: supportive cells of testicular epithelium.

Entrico Sertoli (1842–1910). Professor of Experimental Physiology, Milan.

Trendelenburg position: head down operating position.

Friedrich Trendelenburg (1844–1924). Langenbeck’s assistant in Berlin and was then Professor of Surgery at Rostock, Bonn, and then Leipzig.

Weigert’s law: inverse position of ectopic ureter (the ureter of the upper moiety of a duplex system) drains distally into the bladder (or below into the urethra), whereas the lower pole ureter drains into a proximal position in the bladder.

Carl Weigert (1845–1904). German pathologist.

Wilms’ tumour: nephroblastoma of kidney.

Max Wilms (1867–1918). Surgical assistant to Trandeleburg in Leipzig and subsequently Professor of Surgery in Leipzig. Later, Professor of Surgery in Basle and Heidelberg.

Young’s prostatectomy: perineal prostatectomy.

Hugh Hampton Young (1870–1945). Professor of Urology, John Hopkins School of Medicine.