The erroneous eponym of the carotico-clinoid foramen of Henle: attribution is due to Alexander Monro (primus)

Abstract

The carotico-clinoid foramen is an inconsistent anatomical variation created by an osseous bridging between the anterior and middle clinoid processes that encircles the internal carotid artery. Due to its neurosurgical importance, several articles make note of the foramen. When describing the carotico-clinoid foramen, articles attribute its first description to Jakob Henle in 1855 and, likewise, use the eponym carotico-clinoid foramen of Henle. This report presents evidence that Henle was not the first to describe the carotico-clinoid foramen. Rather, the foramen was first described by Alexander Monro (primus) over a century earlier in 1726. Future studies noting the provenance of the carotico-clinoid foramen should attribute its discovery to Monro. Therefore, the eponym carotico-clinoid foramen of Henle should be named the carotico-clinoid foramen of Monro.

Keywords

• anatomy
• caroticoclinoid foramen
• terminology

References

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