Sir Charles Bell (1774-1842) and his contributions to early neurosurgery.

The renowned surgeon, neuroanatomist, and artist Sir Charles Bell not only impacted the lives of his peers through his creative endeavors and passion for art, but also sparked noteworthy breakthroughs in the field of neuroscience. His empathetic nature and zest for life enabled him to develop an early proclivity for patient care. As a result of his innovative findings regarding sensory and motor nerves and the anatomical makeup of the brain, he accepted some of the most prestigious awards and received an honorable reputation in society. Bell is recognized for his diligence, perseverance, and his remarkable contributions to surgery. The present review will explore his contributions to the discipline now known as neurosurgery.

Anatomy and pathology of the cranial emissary veins: a review with surgical implications.

Emissary veins connect the extracranial venous system with the intracranial venous sinuses. These include, but are not limited to, the posterior condyloid, mastoid, occipital, and parietal emissary veins. A review of the literature for the anatomy, embryology, pathology, and surgery of the intracranial emissary veins was performed. Detailed descriptions of these venous structures are lacking in the literature, and, to the authors', knowledge, this is the first detailed review to discuss the anatomy, pathology, anomalies, and clinical effects of the cranial emissary veins. Our hope is that such data will be useful to the neurosurgeon during surgery in the vicinity of the emissary veins.

Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772): pioneer of neuroanatomy.

Emanuel Swedenborg is widely accredited for his religious fervor and devout dedication to his spirituality. He spearheaded the creation of what is known today as the New Jerusalem Church. However, Swedenborg also served as a prominent figure in the European Enlightenment, making noteworthy strides in the fields of mathematics and science. His acumen for science instilled in the medical world groundbreaking ideas that would forever innovate the practice of medicine. Not only did Swedenborg describe intricacies of the cerebral cortex but he also discovered the perivascular spaces, the foramen of Magendie, and the cerebrospinal fluid. He noted the importance of the pituitary gland or "arch gland" in maintaining normal neurological function. Lastly, in a period where the cortex was given no significant function, Swedenborg developed the idea of somatotopic organization, and this was almost 100 years prior to Fritsch and Hitzig. It is on the shoulders of such great pioneers as Emanuel Swedenborg that we base our current understanding of the nervous system.

China's first surgeon: Hua Tuo (c. 108-208 AD).

Hua Tuo (c. 108-208 AD), the Chinese surgical pioneer and herbal expert, excelled as a physician, making significant strides in anesthesia, surgery, and acupuncture. He is accredited for spearheading the practice of laparotomies and organ transplants, using anesthetics, and he was the first Chinese surgeon to operate on the abdomen including performing splenectomy and colostomy. Neurologically, Hua Tuo is said to have performed procedures to treat headache, paralysis, and suspected a brain tumor in one patient. Tuo's impact on medicine was so profound that the phrases "A Second Hua Tuo" or "Hua Tuo reincarnated" were coined in honor of his diligence and compassion to recognize outstanding physicians who demonstrate an equal caliber of surgical competence. It is the pioneering contributions to medicine and surgery as made by such physicians as Hua Tuo on which we base our current understanding.

Persistent fetal intracranial arteries: a comprehensive review of anatomical and clinical significance.

As fetal intracranial vessels may persist into adulthood, knowledge of their anatomy and potential clinical and surgical complications should be borne in mind by the surgeon. A comprehensive review of these vessels, however, is not easily identified in the literature. Therefore, the present analysis was undertaken so that such information is available to the clinician and morphologist.