Treatment of nasal polyposis in Byzantine times

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Title

Treatment of nasal polyposis in Byzantine times (EN)

Creator

Segas, JV (EN)

Assimakopoulos, DA (EN)

Lascaratos, JG (EN)

Type

journalArticle (EN)

Partial document
Publication in journal (EN)

Article
Scientific article (EN)

Issued

2014-03-01T01:50:32Z

2000 (EN)

Year

2000 (EN)

Description

The goal of this study was to describe the therapeutic methods and surgical techniques used during Byzantine times (AD 324-1453) for a disease that has occupied physicians since antiquity: nasal polyps. The original Greek-language texts of the Byzantine medical writers, most of which were published after the 17th century, were studied in order to identify the early knowledge of the definition, symptoms, conservative treatments, and surgical intervention in cases of this disease. A considerable number of conservative treatments, etiologic and local (with inunctions or blowing of caustic substances), with evident influence from Roman medicine, were identified even in the early Byzantine medical texts (4th century). Further, some surgical techniques were described that seem to constitute evolution of the Hippocratic tradition. From the study of the original texts of Byzantine medical writers, their interest in the rhinological diseases is evident; in the case of nasal polyps, new techniques were mentioned. The first meticulous intranasal surgical removal of polyps was described. These techniques, obviously developed during the Hellenistic period, initially influenced European medicine and later the rest of the world. (EN)

Scientific field

Otorhinolaryngology (EN)

Medical and Health Sciences ▶ Clinical Medicine
Otorhinolaryngology (EN)

Subject

SURGERY (EN)

AD (EN)

ancient medical instruments (EN)

nasal polyps (EN)

history of rhinology (EN)

Byzantine medicine (EN)

Journal

ANNALS OF OTOLOGY RHINOLOGY AND LARYNGOLOGY (EN)