Cyst of Nuck
Anton Nuck
was a Dutch anatomist, born 1650, Harderwijk; died August 5, 1692.
He described the cyst in the groin alongside the round ligamentprotrusions to
the labium majus, that is equivalent with the hydrocele in men.
Associated eponyms:
Nuck's canal
The patent processus vaginalis, an anomalous peritoneal pouch of peritoneum
extending for a variable distance into the labium of the external female
genitalia.
Nuck's cyst
A cyst in Nuck's canal.
Nuck's diverticulum
Processus vaginalis of the peritoneum.
Nuck's hydrocele
A hydrocele of the canal of Nuck.
Biography:
Anton Nuck was also often called Antonius Nuck van Leiden, after his native
city. He commenced his medical studies in Harderwyjk (now written Harderwijk),
but changed to Leiden where he received his doctorate on February 2, 1677 with
the dissertation De diabete. He then settled as a practitioner in Delft. In 1683
he was called to Den Haag as a lecturer of anatomy at the Collegium anatomicum
chirurgicum, working there as a teacher of anatomy before eventually returning
to Leiden, where he was appointed to the chair of medicine and anatomy. His
excellent theoretical lecturing, but even more his practical-anatomical teaching
soon earned him a reputation that attracted students even from far away to
Leiden.
Besides anatomy, physiology was Nuck's most important field of research. He was
well known as an oculist, aurist, and dentist, and did his most important work
in investigating the lymphatics and glands. He pioneered the injection of marker
substances into the salivary glands, not only via their ducts but also via their
blood vessels, and he introduced the new word "sialography" for the
illustration of his results. This technique was similar to the injection
technique Frederik Ruysch (1638-1731) had used for the blood vessels.
He also investigated the reproductive organs of man and the regeneration of the
aqueous humour which maintains the pressure of the eye. He demonstrated this
publicly in the Anatomical Theatre at Leyden, in a Dog, out of whose Eye being
wounded the aqueous Humour did
Nuck is also remembered for advocating an anatomical dental forceps, designed to
fit the shape of the teeth they were to extract.
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This is an example of a young woman with a swelling in the right groin. After deepening the incision the cyst becomes visible and is freed from its surroundings and lifted out of the wound (1-3). The (extensions of the) round ligament is shown (4, 5). The opening of the peritoneum can be seen (6).
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The peritoneal reflection can
clearly be seen (7) and this is tied together with the neck of the cyst and cut (8,9).