GABRIEL FALOPIO

1995/10/01 Azkune Mendia, Iñaki - Elhuyar Fundazioa Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Biografiak

This Italian anatomist surgeon was born in Modena (Italy) in 1523. XVI. It is the most important anatomist of the twentieth century. He was Kalonje in Modena Cathedral, but he again studied medicine at the University of Ferrara where he taught anatomy. In 1548 he was appointed professor of surgery and anatomy of the University of Pisa, since he occupied until 1551. He also obtained the chair of the University of Padua.

When dissecting the corpses, Falopio did absolute examinations. His results were published in Observationes Anatomicae. All these observations led him to discover important things. Among them are the epiphysis (end of a long bone with red marrow), the periostium (connective membrane surrounding the bone), some bones of the head, the ligament of Fallopian, the inner ear and various internal parts of the genital organs of both sexes.

In the case of the inner ear he described the cord of the eardrum, the semicircular channels and the aqueduct of Falopio. In the case of the genital organs, he described the pipes that lead the ovules from the ovary to the utero. Fallopian did not know the function of these tubes, since the eggs were not found before another three centuries passed.

Currently these pipes are called fallopian tubes. This small tube is cabilized, has a very complex calibre or diameter and is covered by a cylindrical epithelium ciliated between 10 and 14 centimeters in length. This organ suffers frequent inflammations, two of them called “salpingitis” and “anexitis”.

In the case of salpingitis, inflammation can be unilateral or bilateral more common. Usually, inflammations have more than one origin, being able to be inflammation of the homeland, post-abortion inflammation and gonococia (inflammation caused by gonococcus). Thanks to antibiotics, severe complications (peritonitis) are very low and cases with effects (sterility) have been reduced considerably.

Anexitis hinders the calibre or diameter of the tube and can cause sterility. The causes of this inflammation are microbes.

In some cases the fertilized eggs can remain in the mucosa of the tube, which is why it is usually an abnormal pregnancy called tubal.

Gabriel Falopio died in Padua (Italy) on October 9, 1562.