Hyrtl fissure: a historical thriller.
Hyrtl fissure is an anatomic landmark allowing a transient embryonic communication between the subarachnoid space and the middle ear. It is an eponym characterized by the absence of a known original description. The aim of this study was to try to find and explain the origin of the use of this eponym. Numerous references and original publications were studied to finally demonstrate that Joseph Hyrtl was not able to describe this fissure in the mid-19th century.
Mudry
Albert
A
ENT & HNS, Lausanne, Switzerland. amudry@worldcom.ch
D000715:Anatomy / Q000266:history; D004850:Eponyms; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000266:history*; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000196:embryology*