Jacques Benignus Winslow (1669–1760): Unlocking the “Jewel Box” of the Skull Base

What drew accolades for Dwight Parkinson in the 20th century was originally meticulously dissected over 200 years ago by Jacques Benignus Winslow (JBW) at the anatomical theaters of Jardin du Roi, Paris. Ironically, Jacques Benignus Winslow's claim to remembrance is strongly critiqued for coining the epochal misnomer “Sinus Cavernofi,” known as the Cavernous Sinus. However, acknowledging his uniquely descriptive treatise on the human anatomy, published as Exposition Anatomique de la Structure du Corps Humain in 1734, redeems the misplaced nomenclature.

Following the work of the medieval anatomists Galen and Vesalius, the duplicature of dura (sinus) around the sphenoid bone was for the first time explored in a human. Explicitly, JBW stated in his treatise that the cavernous sinus is “of a very particular kind,” known to contain numerous vessels and nerves apart from blood; it was a novel documentation. Additionally, the Danish-born French anatomist precisely documented the relationship of the trigeminal nerve with the folds of dura overlying cavernous sinus. Other highlights of his contribution to the neurosurgical anatomy include his description of the cervical portion of the sympathetic nervous system and first effective anatomical study on spine for mobility and function.

Surprisingly, what became a point of criticism in the 20th century modern microneurosurgery era was his analogy of the cavernous sinus to the spongy substance in “spleen and corpora cavernosa of the urethra,” henceforth, the name Cavernous Sinus. This vignette directs to elucidate the remarkable work of the Professor of Anatomy, Physiology, and Surgery who sparked a transformation into the evolution of neurosurgery.