Eponyms or Syndromes in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Gynecology

Obie Editorial Team

According to the Webster dictionary, an eponym is a word or words derived from the proper name of a person or place. Syndromes, a set of symptoms or findings  are often also eponyms, named after a person or persons. In Medicine, an eponym is usually a diagnosis, symptoms, an instrument,  or a procedure named after one or more people who researched the subject, published about it, or were just the first ones to describe it. A syndrome is a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality or condition. 

Examples of eponyms and syndromes:

  • klinefelters syndrome
  • willebrands disease
  • sandhoff jatzkewitz disease
  • parsonage turner syndrome
  • mendelsons syndrome
  • wilms tumour
  • kartageners syndrome
  • kearns sayre syndrome
  • vieusseux gaspard
  • carr barr plunkett syndrome
  • Angelman syndrome
  • Canavan disease
  • Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease
  • Color blindness
  • Cri du chat syndrome
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • DiGeorge syndrome
  • Down syndrome
  • Duchenne muscular dystrophy
  • Familial hypercholesterolemia
  • Haemochromatosis
  • Hemophilia
  • Klinefelter syndrome
  • Neurofibromatosis
  • Phenylketonuria
  • Polycystic kidney disease
  • Prader–Willi syndrome
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Spinal muscular atrophy
  • Tay–Sachs disease
  • Turner syndrome
  • Alvarez-waves
    Painless uterine contractions occurring during the entire pregnancy. Named after Walter Clement Alvarez (1884-1978), an American doctor
  • Apgar score
    The Apgar score is a system for point score evaluation of the physical condition of a newborn after birth. Named after Virginia Apgar (1909-1974), a New York anesthesiologist
  • Asherman syndrome
    A syndrome of intrauterine adhesions and synechiae resulting from trauma, commonly currettage.
  • Ballantyne's Syndrome (Ballantyne-Runge syndrome)
    Dysmaturity syndrome, placental dysfunction syndrome, postmaturity syndrome, prenatal dystrophy syndrome, prolonged gestation syndrome.
  • Bandl's ring
    The ring muscle at the border of the uterus corpus and the uterus isthmus, which is developed more pronouncedly during delivery.
  • Barnes-Neville-Simpson obstetrical forceps (Barnes-Neville-Simpson forceps (Robert Barnes, Sir James Young Simpson))
    An obstetrical forceps.
  • Braxton Hicks contractions
    Practice contractions ('false labor') of the uterus in pregnancy. Contractions that are sporadic and do not lead to changes in the cervix. Named after the English doctor John Braxton Hicks (i823-1897)
  • Credé's maneuver
    Manipulation for early expelling of the placenta.
  • Demons-Meigs syndrome (Meigs' syndrome)
    A syndrome characterised by a solid ovarian tumour, usually a fibroma, accompanied by ascites and pleural effusion.
  • Down syndrome
    A chromosome disorder also known as trisomy 21, or trisomy G, caused by the presence of an extra 21st chromosome. Named after John Langdon Down (1828-1896) a British doctor
  • Edward syndrome
    A chromosome disorder also known as trisomy 18
  • Fallopian tube
    A pair of tubes connected to the uterus and functioning as conduct for travel of the fertilized egg from the ovary to the uterus. named after Gabriele Falloppio (also spelled Falloppia), a 16th-century (c. 1523-62) Italian physician and surgeon
  • Gaskin's maneuver
    Maneuver also called 'all fours" to deal with shoulder dystocia. The first medical maneuver named after a midwife. Named after Ina May Gaskin, an American midwife
  • Gunn-Zavanelli-O'Leary maneuver (Zavanelli's manoeuvre)
    Obstetrical manoeuvre sometimes used when the baby's head is born but the shoulders are stuck.
  • Huhner's test (Sims-Huhner test (Harry M. Sims)
    Test for sterility in the male.
  • Küster’s syndrome (Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome)
    Syndrome characterised by congenital absence of vagina, primary amenorrhoea, rudimentary cornua uteri and morphologically normal ovaries and Fallopian tubes situated on the pelvic sidewall.
  • Lachapelle’s manoeuvre (Mauriceau-Levret manipulation)
    The classical method of assisted breech delivery. The after-coming head is delivered with the child resting on the physician's forearm.\
  • Martin's manipulation
    Manipulation to extract the aftercoming head in breech presentation.
  • Mauriceau-Levret manipulation
    The classical method of assisted breech delivery. The after-coming head is delivered with the child resting on the physician's forearm.
  • Mauriceau-Levret-von Veit-Smellie manipulation (Mauriceau-Levret manipulation)
    The classical method of assisted breech delivery. The after-coming head is delivered with the child resting on the physician's forearm.
  • Mauriceau-Smellie-Veit manoeuvre (Mauriceau-Levret manipulation)
    The classical method of assisted breech delivery. The after-coming head is delivered with the child resting on the physician's forearm.
  • Mayer-Rokitansky syndrome (Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome)
    Syndrome characterised by congenital absence of vagina, primary amenorrhoea, rudimentary cornua uteri and morphologically normal ovaries and Fallopian tubes situated on the pelvic sidewall.
  • Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster syndrome (Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome)
    Syndrome characterised by congenital absence of vagina, primary amenorrhoea, rudimentary cornua uteri and morphologically normal ovaries and Fallopian tubes situated on the pelvic sidewall.
  • Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome
    Syndrome characterised by congenital absence of vagina, primary amenorrhoea, rudimentary cornua uteri and morphologically normal ovaries and Fallopian tubes situated on the pelvic sidewall.
  • Mayer-von Rokitansky-Küster malformation complex (Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome)
    Syndrome characterised by congenital absence of vagina, primary amenorrhoea, rudimentary cornua uteri and morphologically normal ovaries and Fallopian tubes situated on the pelvic sidewall.
  • Meigs' syndrome
    A syndrome characterised by a solid ovarian tumour, usually a fibroma, accompanied by ascites and pleural effusion.
  • Meigs-Cass syndrome (Meigs' syndrome)
    A syndrome characterised by a solid ovarian tumour, usually a fibroma, accompanied by ascites and pleural effusion.
  • Patau syndrome
    A chromosome disorder also known as trisomy 13
  • Pfannenstiel incision
    A horizontal skin incision made just abouve the symphysis pubis. Most common skin incision for cesarean deliveries (aka "bikini cut"). named after Hermann Johannes Pfannenstiel (June 28, 1862 – July 3, 1909) who was a German gynecologist.
  • Rokitansky-Hauser syndrome (Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome)
    Syndrome characterised by congenital absence of vagina, primary amenorrhoea, rudimentary cornua uteri and morphologically normal ovaries and Fallopian tubes situated on the pelvic sidewall.
  • Rokitansky-Küster syndrome (Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome)
    Syndrome characterised by congenital absence of vagina, primary amenorrhoea, rudimentary cornua uteri and morphologically normal ovaries and Fallopian tubes situated on the pelvic sidewall.
  • Runge's signs
    Objective signs of a too long pregnancy
  • Runge's syndrome (Ballantyne-Runge syndrome)
    Dysmaturity syndrome, placental dysfunction syndrome, postmaturity syndrome, prenatal dystrophy syndrome, prolonged gestation syndrome.
  • Schauta's operation
    Total extirpation of the uterus and the adnexa.
  • Schauta-Amreich operation
    An improvement of Schauta's technique for treatment of cervical and endometrial carcinomas.
  • Schauta-Stoeckel operation
    Vaginal radical extirpation for early stages of cancer colli uteri.
  • Schridde's syndrome
    A fetal placental erythroblastosis syndrome with poor prognosis for survival.
  • Semmelweis' method
    Disinfection of the hands of the obstetrician or midwife with chloride or lime, as well as clean bedsheaths for the patient, in order to prevent puerperal fever.
  • Simpson's forceps (Sir James Young Simpson)
    An obstetrical forceps.
  • Simpson's syndrome (Sir James Young Simpson)
    A syndrome of abdominal swelling, pseudocyesis, depression of diaphragm and lordosis of spine.
  • Simpson's uterine sound (Sir James Young Simpson)
    A slender, flexible metal rod used for diagnosing retro-positions of the uterus.
  • Sims' operation (James Marion Sims)
    Operation of cholecystotomy.
  • Sims' position (James Marion Sims)
    The lithotomy position to facilitate a vaginal examination.
  • Sims' test (Sims-Huhner test (Harry M. Sims)
    Test for sterility in the male.
  • Sims-Huhner test (Harry M. Sims)
    Test for sterility in the male.
  • Smellie's manoeuvre (Mauriceau-Levret manipulation)
    The classical method of assisted breech delivery. The after-coming head is delivered with the child resting on the physician's forearm.
  • Smellie's method (Mauriceau-Levret manipulation)
    The classical method of assisted breech delivery. The after-coming head is delivered with the child resting on the physician's forearm.
  • Spalding's sign
    A sign of fetal death.
  • Spiegelberg's criteria
    Four criteria for differentiating ovarian from other ectopic pregnancies.
  • Veit's manipulation (Mauriceau-Levret manipulation)
    The classical method of assisted breech delivery. The after-coming head is delivered with the child resting on the physician's forearm.
  • von Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome)
    Syndrome characterised by congenital absence of vagina, primary amenorrhoea, rudimentary cornua uteri and morphologically normal ovaries and Fallopian tubes situated on the pelvic sidewall.
  • von Veit-Smellie manipulation (Mauriceau-Levret manipulation)
    The classical method of assisted breech delivery. The after-coming head is delivered with the child resting on the physician's forearm.
  • Wertheim's operation
    An improved type of radical abdominal hysterectomy introduced in 1900.
  • Zavanelli's maneuver
    Obstetrical manoeuvre sometimes used when the baby's head is born but the shoulders are stuck.