Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy: historical aspects.

This study aims to present the origins and the historical evolution of fine-needle aspiration biopsy and to also underline its importance in the history of modern cytology. The article focuses on the advances made in the 20th century that have led to the modern techniques associated with the procedure. The authors conducted a thorough review of early reports on needle biopsy, particularly those published during 19th and 20th century, examining in brief also the origins of the needle biopsy. The first report on the use of needle puncture is referred in early writings of Arab medicine. In the early 20th century, Martin and Ellis are considered to be the founders of modern needle aspiration techniques. The German doctor Mannheim was the first to publish reports suggesting the use of fine needles with a small gauge. The establishment and world-wide expansion of FNA should be attributed to the representatives of the Swedish School of Cytopathology. The school embraced FNA in the second half of the 20th century while serving as a training ground for doctors around the world. The history of needle biopsy spans ten centuries. However, the development and establishment of the technique in its modern form took place primarily during the twentieth century. Today, FNA is considered an important cytologic technique with sufficient diagnostic accuracy, especially when applied in cases of lung and prostate cancer

OCJENA ZNANSTVENOG DJELOVANJA GEORGA NICHOLASA PAPANICOLAOUA 50 GODINA OD NJEGOVE SMRTI (1883.-1962.)

The purpose of this review article is to summarise the scientific work of George Nicholas Papanicolaou, one of the most eminent figures in the 20th century history of clinical cytology and medicine. Fifty years after his death, his work still remains invaluable, from the early steps in biology and zoology to the application of the Pap test as the most important advancement in the prevention of cervical cancer. The publication of his Atlas was the first important step for the foundation of a new branch in medicine, that of exfoliative cytology. His contribution to cytology undoubtedly earned him the title of the “father of exfoliative cytology” and saved the lives of many women worldwide.Cilj je članka dati kratak pregled znanstvenog djelovanja Georgea Nicholasa Papanicolaoua, jednog od najznačajnijih ličnosti u povijesti kliničke citologije i medicine XX. stoljeća. Pedeset godina nakon njegove smrti, njegova je ostavština i dalje neprocjenjiva, od prvih koraka u biologiji i zoologiji pa do primjene Papa-testa, kao najznačajnijeg napretka u sprječavanju raka vrata maternice. Izdavanje njegova Atlasa bio je prvi važan korak u stvaranju nove grane medicine – eksfolijativne citologije. Doprinos koji je dao citologiji osigurao mu je naziv “oca eksfolijativne citologije”, a mnogim ženama diljem svijeta spasio je život

Ugo Cerletti (1877-1963): An Early Italian Father of Electroshock and a Pioneer in Many Other Ways

This article provides a biographical review of the life and the professional achievements of the Italian doctor Ugo Cerletti and an introduction on electroshock. Throughout his medical career, he travelled and studied in many countries all over the world. Building upon his systematic and comprehensive analysis of mental diseases, Cerletti introduced electroshock, which, at his time, was a novel therapeutic method. The main beneficial feature of electroshock was that it ameliorated refractory mental illnesses such as depression, mania, and schizophrenia. Additionally, Cerletti filmed the first scientific movie on electroshock. Furthermore, Cerletti left great lessons in the area of dementia, by proving the interaction between spirochaetes and progressive paralysis and exploring the causes of inflammation in the syphilitic brain. Cerletti was the first to announce the theory of acroagonines. Cerletti also made early discoveries on perivascular corpuscles, a discovery of such importance that the perivascular corpuscles are named corpuscles of Cerletti. Outside of the medical realm, Cerletti invented a new type of gun, and produced an early medical documentary. Cerletti received many national and international distinctions and awards. He died in 1963 at the age of 86

Alfred Francois Donne (1801-78): a pioneer of microscopy, microbiology and haematology

Alfred Francois Donne is widely known in the scientific community as the discoverer of Trichommas vaginalis, since he was the first to illustrate the parasite that later was recognized to cause vaginal infections. However, his other, less-known findings are equally important: lie was also the inventor of the photoelectric microscope, with the assistance of his student Leon Foucault, as well as the first to apply photography to microscopic preparations (Daguerreotype). His research in microscopy extended to almost all human fluids that Could be investigated and culminated hi his famous Atlas, which was illustrated with numerous photographs. Donne was also the first to describe the microscopic appearances of leukaemia based on blood preparations acquired from patients. Finally, his work in the hygiene of child upbringing and nutrition is very significant