Glossary of Terms for Thoracic Imaging

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A Moment in History

Georg Eduard Von Rindfleisch
(1836 – 1908)

German pathologist and histologist of Bavarian nobility ancestry. Rindfleisch studied medicine in Würzburg, Berlin, and Heidelberg, earning his MD in 1859 with the thesis “De Vasorum Genesi” (on the generation of vessels) under the tutelage of Rudolf Virchow (1821 - 1902). He then continued as a assistant to Virchow in a newly founded institute in Berlin. He then moved to Breslau in 1861 as an assistant to Rudolf Heidenhain (1834–1897), becoming a professor of pathological anatomy. In 1865 he became full professor in Bonn and in 1874 in Würzburg, where a new pathological institute was built according to his design (completed in 1878), where he worked until his retirement in 1906.

He was the first to describe the inflammatory background of multiple sclerosis in 1863, when he noted that demyelinated lesions have in their center small vessels that are surrounded by a leukocyte inflammatory infiltrate.

After extensive investigations, he suspected an infectious origin of tuberculosis - even before Robert Koch's detection of the tuberculosis bacillus in 1892. Rindfleisch 's special achievement is the description of the morphologically conspicuous macrophages in typhoid inflammation. His distinction between myocardial infarction and myocarditis in 1890 is also of lasting importance.

Associated eponyms

"Rindfleisch's folds": Usually a single semilunar fold of the serous surface of the pericardium around the origin of the aorta. Also known as the plica semilunaris aortæ.

"Rindfleisch's cells": Historical (and obsolete) name for eosinophilic leukocytes.

Personal note: G. Rindfleisch’s book “Traité D' Histologie Pathologique” 2nd edition (1873) is now part of my library. This book was translated from German to French by Dr. Frédéric Gross (1844-1927) , Associate Professor of the Medicine Faculty in Nancy, France. The book is dedicated to Dr. Theodore Billroth (1829-1894), an important surgeon whose pioneering work on subtotal gastrectomies paved the way for today’s robotic bariatric surgery. Dr. Miranda.

Sources:
1. "Stedmans Medical Eponyms" Forbis, P.; Bartolucci, SL; 1998 Williams and Wilkins
2. "Rindfleisch, Georg Eduard von (bayerischer Adel?)" Deutsche Biographie
3. "The pathology of multiple sclerosis and its evolution" Lassmann H. (1999) Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 354 (1390): 1635–40.
4. “Traité D' Histologie Pathologique” G.E.
Rindfleisch 2nd Ed (1873) Ballieres et Fils. Paris, Translated by F Gross

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Details: Written by: Prof. C. Uribe; Published: September 20, 2017

Fleischner
Felix Fleischner, MD

One of the current challenges in medical sciences is to achieve a common and universal language that allows establishing, promoting the understanding and communication between people of different cultures and nationalities.

The use of anatomical and radiological terms in the chest is not exempt from this theme. An adequate terminology allows describing findings and unifying concepts that facilitate communication, teaching, research, in brief, the transmission of knowledge.

From the radiological point of view, ignorance of appropriate terminology creates confusion and may eventually lead to inaccuracies and misdiagnoses. Therefore, reaching consensus in terminology is an attempt to minimize the effects of language vices, which are unfortunately passed on to future generations.

On the other hand, in recent years, technical advances in radiology have improved the capture, recording and storage of images, which in turn has involved the need for a new language to explain new concepts.

Within this context, the Fleischner Society, an international and multidisciplinary medical society for thoracic radiology, was founded in 1969 in memory of Dr. Félix Fleischner. Among the objectives of this society is the publication of formal statements that have been adopted for several years, as standards in the field of chest radiology, generating an important point of discussion and consensus around this issue.

Thus, as in 1971 a proposal for initial terminology was made, which was consolidated in 1984 and 1996 with the publications of the Fleischner Society glossary for Chest X-rays and Tomographies respectively. In 2008 (Radiology 2008; 246: 697-722) this glossary is finally updated using new terms, modifying or eliminating some of those that have become obsolete and others in which their meaning has changed.

Sources:
1. Austin JHM, Müller NL, Friedman PJ. Glossary of Terms for CT of the Lungs: Recommendations of the Nomenclature Committee of The Fleischner Society. Radiology 1996; 200:327-30.
2. Fraser RS, Müller NL, Colman N, Pare PD. Diagnosis of diseases of the Chest. 4th ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Company, 1999.
3. Tuddenham WJ. Glossary of Terms for Thoracic Radiology: Recommendations of the Nomenclature Committee of The Fleischner Society. Am J Roentgenol 1984; 143:509-17.
4. Souza Jr AS, Araújo Neto CA, Jasinovodolinki D,Marchiori E, Kavakama J, Irion KL et al. Terminologia para a Descrição de Tomografia Computadorizada do Tórax (Sugestões Iniciais para um Consenso Brasileiro). Radiol Bras 2002; 35:125-8.
5.David M. Hansell, Alexander A. Bankier, Heber MacMahon, Theresa C. McLoud, Nestor L. Müller, and Jacques Remy Fleischner Society: Glossary of Terms for Thoracic Imaging Radiology 2008 246:3, 697-722

This article belongs to the series "Glossary of Terms for Thoracic Imaging" by Prof C. Uribe, MsC. This series is based on the "Glossary of Terms for Thoracic Imaging" by the Fleischner Society

Glossary of Terms for Thoracic Imaging

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