CC2040 English for Academic Skills (Health Care)

Examples of Eponyms in Health Care

Term Pronunciation* Named after Brief Explanation
1 Alzheimer disease awlzchUm_rm German Progressive mental deterioration occurring in middle age
neurologist Alois
Alzheimer
2 Kaposi’s sarcoma kah-pbcsT sar- Hungarian Malignant tumours arising from blood vessels in the skin,
(Kaposi sarcoma) kbcm^ dermatologist forming plaques or nodules
Moritz Kaposi
3 Papanicolaou test p^-p_-nV-kb-lQcoo Greek cytologist Test to detect cancer of the neck or lining of the womb
(Pap test) George
Papanicolaou
4 Salmonella salcm[-nelc^ American Kind of bacteria that inhibits the intestines of animals and
pathologist Daniel man and causes disease
Elmer Salmon
5 semi-Fowler’s semcT fowlc_rs American surgeon Inclined position obtained by raising the head of the bed
(semi-Fowler) George Ryerson 10–15 inches
Fowler
6 Sjögren’s shercgrens Swedish Condition in which the patient complains of a dry mouth,
syndrome sincdrbm ophthalmologist caused by wasting of the salivary glands; associated with
Henrik Sjögren rheumatoid arthritis and dry eyes.
7 Trendelenburg trencde-len-berg German surgeon Physical examination finding associated with various hip
Friedrich abnormalities
Trendelenburg

* Pronunciation based on: Dirckx, John H., editor, Stedman's Concise Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions, Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins,
4th Edition, 2001

William Tsang 2009

CC2040 English for Academic Skills (Health Care)

William Tsang 2009