Assassination of Elisabeth, Empress of Austria, Queen of Hungary, on 10 September 1898: further additions and minor annotations.

Very recently, a comprehensive re-evaluation of the medical facts and observations surrounding the death of Empress Elisabeth "Sisi" of Austria (1837-1898) was published. The Empress was assassinated in Geneva by the anarchist Luigi Luccheni or Lucheni (1873-1910). In parallel to this recent publication, our study group came across an almost unknown letter from Dr.

Multifactorial White Matter Damage in the Acute Phase and Pre-Existing Conditions May Drive Cognitive Dysfunction after SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Neuropathology-Based Evidence.

Background: There is an urgent need to better understand the mechanisms underlying acute and long-term neurological symptoms after COVID-19. Neuropathological studies can contribute to a better understanding of some of these mechanisms.

Methods: We conducted a detailed postmortem neuropathological analysis of 32 patients who died due to COVID-19 during 2020 and 2021 in Austria.

Beethoven's death mask and a short history of face masks.

The year 2020 was also about the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. On this occasion, his rarely discussed life and death masks should be presented. In addition, a short historical outline is given of the history of face masks in general, which now accompanies us in everyday life in the form of the face-nose mask due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gerard van Swieten, the Dutch personal physician of Empress Maria Theresia (1700-1780).

Born as orthodox catholic in 1700 in Leyden, Gerard van Swieten was orphaned as a child in 1712. He studied medicine under Herman Boerhaave in Leyden from 1720, recording the lectures of his mentor and publishing them after his death. Following his graduation in 1715, van Swieten practiced medicine and pharmacy in Leyden, giving private lectures to students in both fields.

Morgagni and Boerhaave in 1719 : The European academic network in the 18th century demonstrated by a letter from Giovanni Battista Morgagni.

The European academic network in 18th century Europe and the interaction between two eminent 18th century scientists is illustrated by a recently recovered letter from 25.IX.1719 by Giovanni Battista Morgagni (1682-1771).

From natural philosophy to modern medical science: a short survey of Central European pathology.

The evolution of thought and thinking made possible the remarkable development in medicine. Starting with the period of Enlightenment that flourished between the years 1740-1830, a new creative spirit entered science, during which 'reason' itself was emphasised. This so-called 'age of rationalism' triggered innovation and produced a scientific revolution.

An 18th century description of endometriosis : The autopsy of the Countess von Reitzenstein.

Descriptions of endometriosis in 18th century monographs and manuscripts are rare and the recorded macroscopic features of endometriosis seldom support this attribution to the described cases. Recently, we became aware of an anonymous German autopsy report from the 18th century. After transcription, the manuscript was assessed by pathologists with historical expertise.

Acute dyspnea caused by a giant spindle cell lipoma of the larynx.

Background: The spindle cell lipoma (SCL) is a special type of lipoma and this is very rare in the head and neck regions. There are only five reported cases exist, which describes the occurrence of a SCL in the hypopharynx.

Methods: Our case report presents a case of a very large SCL in the larynx.

[The Malady of Emperor Frederick III. and Virchow's diagnostic role].

Crownprince Frederick Wilhelm of Prussia was once the hope of the liberal movement in Germany. He embodied and lived a humanistic ideal based on the spirit of the enlightenment. Starting in January 1887 the passionate pipe smoker suffered on an unusual long hoarseness.

[Vienna's Department of Pathology at the Medical University--a chronology of the past 200 years].

In December 2012 we celebrated the reconstruction of the Department of Pathology at the Vienna Medical School. This short report presents the evolution of this institute by its directors and their main achievements. From Rokitansky to Kerjaschki we follow the path from the work at the morgue to the modern diagnostic methods für personalised medicine.

Type A dissection and chronic dilatation: tenascin-C as a key factor in destabilization of the aortic wall.

Objectives: Tenascin-C plays an important role in myocardial and vascular remodelling. We hypothesized that tenascin-C is a key factor in the development of degenerative disease of the ascending aorta, leading to chronic dilatation and acute aortic dissection.

Methods: Ascending aortic wall specimens were obtained during surgery for chronic dilatation (n=52) and acute Type A dissection (n=30).

[Limits and benefits of non-controlled therapy-related observations].

In the age of evidence-based medicine, results from prospective controlled interventional studies are awarded the highest priority for determining the efficacy of a therapeutic measure. In contract, the role of non-controlled therapy-related observations is very low. This conception is due to the fact that in the absence of a control group it is impossible to assess a causal relationship between an administered therapy and the subsequent clinical outcome.

Rokitansky's diseases and cause of death : A short pathological and historical discourse.

Carl Rokitansky was one of the foremost experts and pioneers in pathological anatomy of the 19th century. Virchow and Rokitansky paved the way for the modern specialty of pathology, as we know it today. Whilst Virchow was the doyen of histopathology, Rokitansky's merit was his excellent gross pathology establishing thereby a nosological classification of disease.