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Introduction
The lexicon of medicine is filled with eponyms. From anatomical landmarks such as Alcock’s canal to ubiquitous surgical instruments like the Ellik evacuator, eponyms have come to be an inescapable component of the language of urology. We aim to expand upon the origins of many of these eponyms to enhance understanding of this vocabulary as it pertains to urologic practice.
Materials & Methods
A literature review was performed regarding devices, pathologies, and anatomical landmarks encountered in urologic practice using the PUBMED and JSTOR databases.
Results
Eponyms are encountered daily in modern urology and are a vital part of communication between health care professionals. In the operating room, an Ellik evacuator may be utilized, which was designed by Milo Ellik in 1937 while still a resident at the University of Iowa. An essential tool in a urologist’s armamentarium, the Foley catheter carries the name of Frederic Eugene Basil Foley who initially presented the concept of a self-retaining catheter in 1935, only to fail to secure a patent on the device in 1937 as it was already obtained by the Davol Rubber Company one year prior. Similar fascinating histories are associated with other eponymous terms such as the Deaver retractor, Bacille Calmette-Guerin, Lahey forceps and many more.
Conclusion
Though eponyms have given way to utilitarian terms in much of modern medicine, they will continue to be an integral component of communication between physicians. Unless their individual stories are retold, we risk losing the essential historical origins.