Of drills and bones: Giovanni Ghedini and the origin of bone marrow biopsy

Marco Pizzi; Gianni Binotto; Giulia Rigoni Savioli; Angelo Paolo Dei Tos; Attilio Orazi

doi:10.1111/bjh.18206

Of drills and bones: Giovanni Ghedini and the origin of bone marrow biopsy

Br J Haematol. 2022 Sep;198(6):943-952. doi: 10.1111/bjh.18206. Epub 2022 May 5.

Authors

Marco Pizzi¹, Gianni Binotto², Giulia Rigoni Savioli³, Angelo Paolo Dei Tos¹, Attilio Orazi⁴

Affiliations

¹ Surgical Pathology and Cytopathology Unit, Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
² Haematology and Clinical Immunology Unit, Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
³ Central Medical Library 'Vincenzo Pinali' - Section of Ancient Books and Special Collections, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
⁴ Department of Pathology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, Texas, USA.

PMID: 35510703
DOI: 10.1111/bjh.18206

Abstract

Bone marrow (BM) studies are pivotal for the diagnosis of haematological disorders. Their introduction into clinical haematology dates back to the work of Giovanni Ghedini (1877-1959), an Italian physician who first conceived BM sampling in 1908. Ghedini's proposal stemmed from his clinical experience and from the scientific developments that characterised his epoch. By presenting selected passages of Ghedini's publications, this report considers the theoretical and historical bases of his work and analyses its practical implications for modern haematology.

Keywords: Giovanni Ghedini; bone marrow biopsy; haematopathology; history of medicine.

MeSH terms

Biopsy
Bone Marrow / pathology
Bone Marrow Examination
Hematologic Diseases* / pathology
Hematology*
Humans