Albert Wojciech Adamkiewicz (1850–1921): unsung hero behind the eponymic artery

Abstract

<jats:p>The artery of Adamkiewicz is an important radiculomedullary artery supplying the spinal cord, especially the lumbar enlargement. Anatomical knowledge of this artery is important for avoiding serious neurological complications during surgery performed in this region—for neurosurgeons and interventional radiologists treating intramedullary tumors and spinal arteriovenous malformations, traumatologists performing spinal fusions, thoracic surgeons treating aortic aneurysms, and urologists and pediatric surgeons conducting retroperitoneal dissections. However, the biography of the talented Polish pathologist Albert Adamkiewicz, after whom the landmark artery is named, has not been described adequately in the existing neurosurgical literature. The authors bring to light the historical perspective of the eponymic artery and provide a recapitulation of other significant contributions made by Adamkiewicz, mostly involving the nervous system. His research papers on the histology of neuronal tissues and neurodegenerative diseases had high scientific merit, but the discovery of the anticancer antitoxin “cancroin” and his postulation of a cancer-causing parasite he named <jats:italic>“Coccidium sarcolytus”</jats:italic> met with harsh criticism and eventually led to his ill fame. The biography is supplemented with a brief overview of the important surgical implications of the artery of Adamkiewicz.</jats:p>

Detection of the Adamkiewicz artery in computed tomography of the thorax and abdomen

“…[3][4][5] Preoperative anatomical evaluation of the AKA is essential in many clinical disciplines: vascular surgery (aortic aneurysms), neurosurgery (intramedullary tumors), as well as urology and pediatric surgery (retroperitoneal dissections), because it helps avoid serious neurological complications such as paraplegia or paraparesis. 1,2 The aim of this study was to evaluate the detection of the AKA, as well as its level and the side of origin, with multi-detector contrast enhanced computed tomography (MDCT) of the abdomen and thorax performed during everyday clinical practice, and to compare the results with the literature.…”

“…The description of the spinal arterial network known as the vascular crown (or "vasocorona") is also a result of his research on bidirectional blood flow along the arterial system of the spinal cord. 1 The zone that covers the anterior 2/3 of the spinal cord in the thoracolumbar segment is supplied with blood through the artery of Adamkiewicz (AKA). The AKA is a small vessel with a diameter of 0.6-1.2 mm starting from the posterior part of the segmental arteries (intercostal or lumbar arteries), which are subdivided into the radiculomedullary artery, the muscular branch and the dorsal branch.…”

Características da artéria de Adamkiewicz: comparação entre indivíduos com e sem aortopatia

“…, aa. sulcais 35 , medial medullary branch 42 , sulco-commissural a. • Pacientes que aceitaram a realização da angiotomografia de aorta caso não tivesse sido solicitado pelo médico de origem, como complemento do exame.…”