title: Two cases of 16th century head injuries managed in royal European families.
abstract: In Europe, during the 16th century, there were a number of prominent general surgeons adventurous enough to consider operating on the brain for head injuries. From the time of Hippocrates, operating on the skull and brain was considered both treacherous and too dangerous to be undertaken except on rare occasions. Operating on a member of a royal court was considered even more exceptional because if the outcome was poor, the surgeon could lose a hand or limb, or, even worse, be beheaded. The authors present two interesting cases of royal family members who underwent surgery for head injuries that were quite severe. The surgeons involved, Ambroise Paré, Andreas Vesalius, and Berengario da Carpi, were among the most prominent surgeons in Europe. Despite very challenging political situations, all were willing to undertake a complex surgical intervention on the member of a prominent royal family. The individuals involved, both royal and medical, plus the neurosurgical injuries are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurological Surgery and.|Leo Davidoff Department of Neurological Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, New York.
authors.forename: Kamilah A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Dowling
authors.affiliation: Leo Davidoff Department of Neurological Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, New York.
authors.forename: James Tait
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Goodrich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000266:history* / Q000601:surgery*; D005060:Europe; D005197:Famous Persons; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008488:Medical Illustration / Q000266:history; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000266:history* / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Ambroise Paré; Andreas Vesalius; Berengario da Carpi; Henry II; Lorenzo de Medici; head injury; history of neurosurgery; traumatic injury