Grau JJ, Caballero M, Garrido C, Canalda S, Trilla A. Neck mass and tracheostomy in a young lady depicted by
Piero di Cosimo.
Hormones (Athens) 2020;
19:261-264. [PMID:
31696448 DOI:
10.1007/s42000-019-00146-0]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Among surgical procedures currently in use, tracheostomy has a particularly long history. The first written description of the procedure is due to Brasavola, and dates from 1546. Piero di Cosimo (1462-1522) was an early Renaissance painter who painted a work traditionally known as Cephalus and Procris or The Death of Procris (1495-1500). In this painting, a vertical tracheostomy can be observed in a young woman lying on the ground. A giant mass can be seen in the lower left neck with superficial venous vessels, suggesting a thyroid malignancy. This appears to be the first detailed depiction of a malignant cervical mass and a possibly therapeutic tracheostomy. We discuss the clinical differential diagnosis and also make some comments from an art history perspective.
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