Table 1 Eponyms rooted in the Greek mythology
From: The use of eponyms in medical case reports: etymological, quantitative, and structural analysis
No. | Terms with onomastic components | Number of results in JMCRs as of 2022 | Examples from JMCRs | Reference information | Alternative terms (if available) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Achilles tendon | 42 results | “We present an interesting case of spontaneous non-traumatic bilateral rupture of the Achilles tendons, which is a rare condition” [35] | Achilles is one of the main ancient Greek heroes. According to the myth, Achilles was the son of King Peleus and the sea goddess (Nereid) Thetis, who, seeking to make her son immortal, bathed him as a baby in the waters of the underground river Styx, holding his heel. It was the heel that became the vulnerable place in which the arrow of Paris hit during the Trojan War—this is where the expression “Achilles’ heel” comes from, that is, a weak, vulnerable place [36]. | Calcaneal tendon (2 results of JMCRs) |
2. | Achilles tendon reflex | 9 results | “Her knee jerks were brisk, and her Achilles tendon reflexes were difficult to elicit” [35] | Ankle-jerk reflex, ankle jerk reflex (5 results in JMCRs) | |
3. | Arthralgia | 154 results | “Three days prior to admission he developed high spiking fever with chills and rigors associated with severe arthralgia and myalgia” [35] | The Greek suffix -algia means “pain” and is derived from the name of Algaea—the daughter of Eris, goddess of war and strife, and Eiter, the god of misty and cloudy skies. Algaea personified pain, and suffering of the body and mind, which were intensified by grief [36] | Joint pain (629 results in JMCRs), painful joints (5 results) |
4. | Myalgia | 159 results | Muscle ache (10 results in JMCRs), muscle pain (40 results), muscular pain (5 results) | ||
5. | Neuralgia | 47 results | “The result with respect to his sporadic neuralgia was satisfactory” [35] | = Nerve pain (6 results in JMCRs) | |
6. | Fibromyalgia | 16 results | “…a complicated medical history that included rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, diabetes mellitus” [35] | ‒ | |
7. | Cephal(al)gia | 6 results | “…a superficial temporal artery biopsy for presumptive giant cell arteritis-induced cephalalgia” [35] | Headache (786 results in JMCRs) | |
8. | Mastalgia | 1 result | “She could not recall any trauma to her chest and denied mastalgia or discharge from nipple” [35] | Breast pain (9 results in JMCRs) | |
9. | Arachnodactyly | 4 results | “She had neither arachnodactyly nor thromboembolic events” [35] | Arachne was a master weaver and embroiderer. Bragging about her skill, Arachne challenged Pallas Athena to the competition, for which she was punished. The goddess, angered by the fact that Arachne wove the love affairs of Zeus, Poseidon, and Dionysus, tore the beautiful fabric woven by Arachne, and struck her four times on the forehead. The unfortunate Arachne could not survive such shame and hanged herself, but Athena pulled her out of the noose and turned her into a spider [36]. | Spider fingers (0 results in JMCRs) |
10. | Arachnoid | 36 results | “Intracranial subdural empyema is an infection that is contained within the space between the dura and arachnoid mater” [35] | ‒ | |
11. | Arachnoid mater | 10 results | |||
12. | Atlas | 23 results | “Cervical myelopathy caused by atlantoaxial instability in a patient with an os odontoideum and total aplasia of the posterior arch of the atlas: a case report” [35] | “In Greek mythology, Atlas was a Titan whose bulk surpassed that of any other man, and who was condemned to support the heavens on his shoulders” [37] | First cervical vertebra (2 results in JMCRs) |
13. | Atlanto-occipital joint | 3 results | “Her atlanto-axial and atlanto-occipital joints demonstrated full range of motion” [35] | ‒ | |
14. | Atlanto-axial joint | 4 results | ‒ | ||
15. | Atropine | 36 results | “He was given two doses of atropine and then ephedrine without an increase in heart rate” [35] | Atropos was the oldest of the three fates (Moiras) who spun the thread of human destiny. “Atropos was the one who cut the thread when it was time for someone to die;… Atropine occurs in Solanaceae plants, especially the deadly nightshade plant, which was used in the middle ages to produce obscure and prolonged poisoning. Therefore, Carl von Linné named it Atropa belladonna after Atropos who cuts the thread of life” [37]. | Daturin (0 results in JMCRs) |
16. | Caput medusae | 5 results | “The abdominal wall appearance revealed a caput medusae due to portal hypertension” [35] | Medusa was a monster with a woman’s face and snakes instead of hair [36]. | = Palm tree sign (0 results in JMCRs), Medusa’s head (0 results in JMCRs) |
17. | Chimera | 5 results | “…a study demonstrated that in mouse bone marrow chimeras with CD80/86 knockout B-cellsб resistance to the induction of proteoglycan-induced arthritis was present” [35] | Chimera was a mythical monster with the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a snake, from whose mouth erupted flames. Chimera was killed by Bellerophon (Βελλεροφόντης), grandson of Sisyphus. | ‒ |
18. | Coma | 329 results | “Hypertriglyceridemia as a possible cause of coma: a case report” [35] | Comus was “the guardian of banquets and indulged in nightly orgies which resulted in a state of profound insensibility caused by a drunken stupor” [37] | ‒ |
19. | Cyclopia | 4 results | “Cyclopia with shoulder dystocia leading to an obstetric catastrophe: a case report” [35] | Cyclopes were “one-eyed, gigantic and lawless shepherds in Sicily who devoured human beings” [37] | Synophthalmia (2 results) |
20. | Echocardiography | 605 results | “Cardiac echo showed mild mitral and tricuspid regurgitations without abnormal aortic valve” [35] | Echo was a nymph, who was punished by Hera, for distracting her with long conversations, while Zeus was cheating on her with other nymphs. As a result, Echo could only repeat the endings of phrases or words of others. | ‒ |
21. | Echocardiogram | 412 results | |||
22. | Cardiac echo | 2 results | |||
23. | Echo | 254 results | |||
24. | Echolalia | 7 results | “She was only able to produce a word salad and showed echolalia” [35] | ‒ | |
25. | Ether | 6 results | “Allergic contact dermatitis from 2,3-dibromocresylglycidyl ether has been reported” [35] | Aether is the personification of light who organized the cosmic matter in the sky [37]. | ‒ |
26. | Hebephrenia | 1 result | “Kraepelin grouped together catatonia, hebephrenia and paranoid psychosis, as dementia praecox” [35] | Hebe was the daughter of Zeus and Hera. She was the goddess of youth [37]. The term “hebephrenia” refers to the more prominent appearance of the disorder in patients around puberty. | Disorganized schizophrenia (0 results) |
27. | Hemeralopia | 1 result | “This report presents a case of a 28-year-old man consulting for a progressive fall of visual acuity with hemeralopia” [35] | Hemera was the Greek goddess of the day [36] | Day blindness (1 result) |
28. | Hermaphroditism | 8 results | “Testicular seminoma has rarely been reported in patients with true hermaphroditism” [35] | Hermaphrodite was the son of Hermes and Aphrodite, a young man of unprecedented beauty who was loved by the nymph Salmakida. However, not achieving reciprocity, she turned to the gods with a request that they create one creature from them—a half-man-half-woman. | Ovotesticular disorder (2 results) |
29. | Hygiene | 120 results | “Inclusion criteria were: good oral hygiene, absence of lesions of the oral mucosa, no smoking” [35] | Hygieia is the goddess of health, the eldest daughter of Asclepius, who was often depicted together with her father [36]. | ‒ |
30. | Hymen | 4 results | “Hysteroscopy- and laparoscopy-based diagnosis and treatment of girls with unbroken hymen with an obstructing uterine septum: two case reports” [35] | Hymen is the god of marriage and the personification of the wedding feast [37]. | ‒ |
31. | Iris | 79 results | “Pathology characteristics of ocular von Hippel-Lindau disease with neovascularization of the iris and cornea: a case report” [35] | Iris was the daughter of Taumantus and Electra, the goddess of the rainbow, who appears after rain in splashes of water or in a cloud, the messenger of the gods, and a mediator between gods and people [36]. | ‒ |
32. | Iridocyclitis | 14 results | “…no slit-lamp examination was performed, and she had no indication of anterior uveitis or iridocyclitis” [35] | ‒ | |
33. | Iritis | 15 results | “Her treating ophthalmologist diagnosed acute iritis with secondary glaucoma” [35] | ‒ | |
34. | Cofactor Klotho | 3 results | “Loss of function in PHEX is associated with increased circulating FGF23 which acts to reduce expression of sodium-phosphate co-transporters (NaPi) in the renal tubule in association with its co-factor Klotho, and to reduce 1α-hydroxylase activity” [35] | Klotho is one of the three Moiras, or Fates, who spins the thread of human life [37]. | – |
35. | Klotho gene | 1 result | “…the prolonged routine consumption of thousands of international units of vitamin D may interfere with the regulation of phosphate homeostasis by fibroblast growth factor-23 and the Klotho gene product” [35] | ||
36. | Klotho protein | 1 result | “A markedly decreased expression of Klotho protein in a hyperplastic parathyroid gland is present in patients on HD” [35] | ||
37. | Labyrinth | 8 results | “The pathogenesis of serous labyrinthitis in our patient may be due to toxins present in the labyrinth” [35] | Labyrinthus was an amazing maze, built near Knossos by the skilled Athenian craftsman Daedalus by order of the Cretan King Minos. The Labyrinth consisted of thousands of different rooms, and the Minotaur was hidden there [36]. | = Otic capsule (5 results) |
38. | Labyrinthitis | 3 results | ‒ | ||
39. | Lethargy | 134 results | “A 67-year-old Japanese man presented to our hospital with generalized weakness, lethargy, and weight loss” [35] | Lethe is one of the six rivers of the underworld. According to the beliefs of the ancient Greeks, the dead, having entered the kingdom of Hades, drank water from this river and forgot everything they saw and experienced in this life to be reincarnated in another life [36] | ‒ |
40. | Morphine | 83 results | “All included patients previously underwent therapy with morphine and NSAIDs previously but were resistant to treatment” [35] | Morpheus is the Greek god of dreams, and the son of the god of sleep, Somnus [37] | – |
41. | Narcissistic personality disorder | 1 result | “He was also diagnosed with co-morbid narcissistic personality disorder” [35] | Narcissus was “the son of the river god Cephissus, and the embodiment of self-conceit. He fell in love with his own image reflected in the water of a river, to the extent of trying to talk to it and embrace it. He finally died of longing for his own image. Narcissism as a psychological term was coined in the late 1890s to describe a specific sexual perversion” [37]. | ‒ |
42. | Narcissistic personality traits | 1 result | “…poor coping may be part of a personality disorder, such as borderline personality or dependent and narcissistic personality traits” [35] | ‒ | |
43. | Nycturia | 1 result | “Accessory symptoms are nycturia, headache, intellectual deterioration” [35] | Nycta is the Greek goddess of the night, the antipode and mother of the goddess of the day—Hemera, the daughter of Chaos [36]. | – |
44. | Panacea | 1 result | “Hundreds of millions of people in polyparasitized poor communities around the world are taking ivermectin to combat various diseases, making it a panacea for resource-poor countries” [35] | Panacea (literally means: “healer who heals everything”) is one of the four daughters of the god of healing Asclepius, she is the patroness of medicinal treatment [36]. | |
45. | Panic | 28 results | “This report describes a patient suffering from panic disorder who developed repeated suicidal ideation” [35] | Pan is the “ancient Greek god of woods, fields, shepherds, and flocks. He amused himself by giving lonely travelers sudden fright, and thus the origin of the eponym” [37]. | – |
46. | Proteus | 27 results | “Proteus mirabilis is the second most common pathogen that causes urinary tract infections after Escherichia coli” [35] | Proteus is the son of Poseidon and Hera, a sea deity who can transform into various plants, animals (bull, boar, lion, monkey, panther), and birds, as well as take the form of natural elements (fire or water). In a figurative sense, Proteus means “changeable nature”, “inconstant person”, “cunning” [36]. | – |
47. | Psyche | 2 results | “…the influence of the skin on the psyche (somatopsychic pathway), which could be implicated in this disease” [35] | Psyche is the embodiment of the soul and breath. In ancient Greek, the word “ψυχή” has several meanings: (1) breath, soul, and consciousness, (2) life, (3) mental qualities and character, (4) mood and feelings, and (5) essence, personality, and person [36]. | – |
48. | Somatopsychic | 1 result | – | ||
49. | Psycho-syndrome | 2 results | “After extubation, the patient presented a mild psycho-syndrome with cognitive slowing and deficits in mnestic function” [35] | – | |
50. | Psychobehavioral | 1 result | “Medical, neurobiological, and psychobehavioral perspectives of mastocytosis: a case report” [35] | – | |
51. | Psycho-affective | 1 result | “Given its psycho-affective properties of inducing euphoria, disinhibition and sexual arousal, the drug was later used as an adjunct to psychotherapy” [35] | – | |
52. | Neuropsychological symptoms | 4 results | “A 76-year-old Caucasian woman presented with progressive left-sided hemiparesis, accompanied by hypoesthesia, hypoalgesia and neuropsychological symptoms” [35] | – | |
53. | Psycho-neuro-immunomodulatory | 1 result | “Our study underlines the influence of the psyche on mast cell degranulation (psycho-neuro-immunomodulatory pathway)” [35] | – | |
54. | Antipsychotic drugs/medications | 57 results | “Anti-inflammatory effects of antidepressant and atypical antipsychotic medication for the treatment of major depression and comorbid arthritis: a case report” [35] | – | |
55. | Antipsychotics | 81 results | “Diabetic control and atypical antipsychotics: a case report” [35] | – | |
56. | Psychosis | 81 results | “Williams syndrome and psychosis: a case report” [35] | – | |
57. | Psychotic | 85 results | “Acute manic state with psychotic features in a teenager with autoimmune encephalitis: a case report” [35] | ||
58. | Psychopathic | 1 result | “However, the patient should be treated first at a psychopathic ward” [35] | – | |
59. | Psychotherapy | 38 results | “Many medical treatments and psychotherapy techniques were proposed for detoxification” [35] | – | |
60. | Psychiatry | 112 results | “This condition has been well described in the surgical literature, but less reported in psychiatry” [35] | – | |
61. | Psychiatric | 277 results | “Psychiatric reaction of an intensive care unit survivor in the context of coronavirus disease 2019: a case report” [35] | ||
62. | Priapism | 7 results | “Using cyproterone acetate to treat recurrent ischemic priapism in a patient with sickle cell anemia as a comorbidity: a case report” [35] | Priapus was the son of Dionysus and Aphrodite, the god of fertility, the guardian of vineyards, apiaries, gardens, and fields. Priapus was born with a small, ugly body and unusually large genitalia [36]. | – |
63. | Sirenomelia | 6 results | “Sirenomelia in a Nigerian triplet: a case report” [35] | “A siren is a fabulous monster, part of woman, part bird, who lured sailors to their destruction by enchanting singing. Sirens were confused with mermaids in the English literature of the fourteenth century. Therefore, designation as mermaid deformity is more appropriate than sirenomelic deformity on the basis of both mythological sources and morphological structure” [37] | Mermaid syndrome (3 results) |
64. | Sphincter | 118 results | “Biliary type-II sphincter of Oddi dysfunction with a pancreatic duct dilation: a case report and review of the literature” [35] | The Sphinx is a “hybrid monster, usually described as having the head of a woman and the winged body of a lion. The Sphinx asked a riddle of all travelers who passed by. Those who could not provide the correct answer were squeezed to death by the embrace of the Sphinx, and thus the similarity to the contraction of sphincters” [37]. | – |
65. | Syringe | 45 results | “Because careful aspiration with a 2 mL syringe did not show any blood or cerebrospinal fluid, 1.0 mL of contrast medium was injected” [35] | Syrinx was an “Arcadian nymph who was chased by Pan, the hoofed and horned god of woods and fields. As Pan embraced her, Syrinx changed into a tuft of reeds, and the air going through the reeds produced such a lovely melody that he made a musical instrument out of them” [37]. | – |