The Interest in the Pathology and Pathophysiology of Vascular Lesions

Background. This chapter presents the historical and progressive interest in cerebrovascular lesions which began in the 17th century. Methods: Despite its frequent occurrence, knowledge of the natural history of cerebrovascular disease was surprisingly scanty until 18th century. The history of cerebrovascular lesions covers several centuries, although the observations influencing current practice have been analyzed only since the 20th century. Results: This chapter is a review of the contributions of the principal physicians, pathologists, anatomists, anthropologists, philosophers, pathoanatomists, neuropathologists and neurologists to the present knowledge of the pathology and pathophysiology of cerebrovascular lesions. The period from the 16th to the 20th century has been analyzed; the pathophysiology of cerebrovascular lesions has been divided according to etiological classification. The greatest contributions to knowledge are due to Felix Platter (1536–1614), Johann Jakob Wepfer (1620–1695), Giovanni Battista Morgagni (1682–1771), Jean André Rochoux (1787–1852), Léon Rostan (1790–1866), Karl von Rokitansky (1804–1878), Charles Louis Maxime Durand-Fardel (1815–1899), Rudolf Ludwig Virchow (1821–1902), Jean-Martin Charcot (1825–1893), Joseph Jules Déjerine (1849–1917), Pierre Marie (1853–1940), Charles Foix (1882–1927), Charles Miller-Fisher (1913–2012). Conclusion: At the end of the 19th century, the development of clinical–anatomic correlation studies of cerebrovascular lesions was considered a brain condition worthy of specific research and future knowledge.