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

Abstract

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 “Coccidium sarcolytus” 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.