Key result
Ibn Zuhr's 12th-century pericarditis descriptions suggest he performed pericardiocentesis and post-mortem dissections.
Why the study?
Historical descriptions of pericarditis and its pathological findings from medieval Arabic medical texts have not been extensively studied or translated.
This historical study highlights that accurate descriptions of pericarditis and pericardial effusion were documented by the physician Ibn Zuhr in the 12th century.
No change to current pericarditis management; extends the documented history of detailed pericardial pathology recognition.
This is a study and translation of the section on pericarditis in Al Taisir book written by the Muslim physician Ibn Zuhr Avenzoar who lived and practiced in Eshbeelia nowadays Seville, Andalusia, Spain between 1091-1162 AD. Ibn Zuhr described the serous type of pericarditis as well as the pathological findings in fibrinous pericarditis. His description of the latter may also fit with the picture of chronic fibrous pericarditis. He also described acute purulent pericarditis and involvement of the pericardium in cases of acute carditis with hectic fever. Ibn Zuhr's description of the pericardial effusion in serous pericarditis as looking like urine indicates that he must have seen a sample of the fluid obtained either by pericardiocentesis or during a post-mortem examination. However, his description of solid substances accumulating on the inside of the hearts covering looking like layers upon layers of membranes could not have been made possible without post-mortem dissection.
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Abdel-Halim et al. (2007) studied Pericarditis. Ibn Zuhr's 12th-century descriptions of serous, fibrinous, and purulent pericarditis suggest he performed pericardiocentesis and post-mortem dissections.
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