Apoplexy, cerebrovascular disease, and stroke: Historical evolution of terms and definitions

ABSTRACT. The long-standing concept of “apoplexy' can be followed from Antiquity, passing through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and reaching the Modern era and the present day, with the new designation of “stroke”. The definition of “apoplexy” can be divided, by the history of autopsy, into a period predating this practice, which spanned from Antiquity until the Renaissance, with a relatively stable clinically-based umbrella concept, and an autopsy period of the Modern era, when the condition was subdivided into several subtypes. Thus, it took about 2,500 years assembling the numerous pieces of information to achieve a fairly well-defined picture. The “stroke” concept inherited the information developed for “apoplexy”, incorporating all historical acquisitions to form the current state of this knowledge.

【摘要】“卒中（apoplexy）”这一源远流长的医学概念可追溯至古典时代，历经中世纪、文艺复兴时期，直至现代乃至当代，最终以“中风（stroke）”这一新的命名沿用至今。依据尸检技术的发展脉络，“卒中”的定义可划分为两个阶段：其一为古典时代至文艺复兴时期的尸检前阶段，彼时该概念以临床实践为基础，形成了相对稳定的宽泛涵盖性定义；其二为现代的尸检阶段，此时该病症被细分为多个亚型。人类耗时约2500年汇集各类相关信息，才得以构建出相对明晰的认知框架。“中风”这一概念继承了为“卒中”所积累的全部研究资料，整合了所有历史研究成果，最终形成了当前的认知体系。