Václav Treitz (; 9 April 1819 – 27 August 1872) was a Czech

pathologist Pathology is the study of disease. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in the context of modern medical treatme ...

Biography

Treitz was born on 9 April 1819 in Hostomice,

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

. He studied medicine in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, and performed post-graduate studies in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

with Joseph Hyrtl (1810–1894). Subsequently, he practiced medicine at the

Jagellonian University The Jagiellonian University (, UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the wor ...

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

, returning to Prague in 1855, where he became a professor and director of the institute of

pathological anatomy Anatomical pathology (''Commonwealth'') or anatomic pathology (''U.S.'') is a medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the gross examination, macroscopic, Histopathology, microscopic, biochemical, immu ...

. Throughout his career, Treitz was a figure in the struggle for Czech nationalism. On 27 August 1872, at the age of 53, he committed suicide by ingesting

potassium cyanide Potassium cyanide is a compound with the formula KCN. It is a colorless salt, similar in appearance to sugar, that is highly soluble in water. Most KCN is used in gold mining, organic synthesis, and electroplating. Smaller applications include ...

Named structures

Treitz is remembered for his 1853 description of the

suspensory muscle of the duodenum The suspensory muscle of duodenum (also known as suspensory ligament of duodenum, Treitz's muscle or ligament of Treitz) is a thin muscle connecting the junction between the duodenum and jejunum (the small intestine's first and second parts, res ...

(''musculus suspensorius duodeni''), later being named the "ligament of Treitz" (also known as Treitz muscle). This

ligament A ligament is a type of fibrous connective tissue in the body that connects bones to other bones. It also connects flight feathers to bones, in dinosaurs and birds. All 30,000 species of amniotes (land animals with internal bones) have liga ...

is a fibrous structure by which the

duodenojejunal junction The duodenojejunal flexure or duodenojejunal junction, also known as the angle of Treitz, is the border between the duodenum and the jejunum. Structure The ascending portion of the duodenum ascends on the left side of the aorta, as far as the lev ...

is fixed to the right crus of the diaphragm. His name is attached to several other anatomical terms: * " Angle of Treitz": sharp curve at the duodenojejunal junction. * "Treitz arch" (''plica paraduodenalis'' or paraduodenal fold): a sickle-shaped fold of

peritoneum The peritoneum is the serous membrane forming the lining of the abdominal cavity or coelom in amniotes and some invertebrates, such as annelids. It covers most of the intra-abdominal (or coelomic) organs, and is composed of a layer of mesotheli ...

that forms the anterior boundary of the paraduodenal recess. * "Treitz fascia":

fascia A fascia (; : fasciae or fascias; adjective fascial; ) is a generic term for macroscopic membranous bodily structures. Fasciae are classified as superficial, visceral or deep, and further designated according to their anatomical location. ...

behind the head of the

pancreas The pancreas (plural pancreases, or pancreata) is an Organ (anatomy), organ of the Digestion, digestive system and endocrine system of vertebrates. In humans, it is located in the abdominal cavity, abdomen behind the stomach and functions as a ...

. * "Treitz fossa": subcaecal fossa, a depression in the peritoneum extending posterior to the

caecum The cecum ( caecum, ; plural ceca or caeca, ) is a pouch within the peritoneum that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is typically located on the right side of the body (the same side of the body as the appendix, ...

. * "Treitz hernia": a duodenojejunal hernia; a hernia in the subperitoneal tissues.Medical definition
(eponyms)

References

* Biographical information based on a translation of the equivalent article from the

German Wikipedia The German Wikipedia () is the German-language edition of Wikipedia, a free and publicly editable online encyclopedia. Founded on 16 March 2001, it is the second-oldest Wikipedia edition (after the English Wikipedia). It has articles, ma ...

, including: *
ADB: Treitz, Wenzel
@

Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB; ) is one of the most important and comprehensive biographical reference works in the German language. It was published by the Historical Commission of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences between 1875 and 1912 in 56 volumes, printed in Lei ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Treitz, Vaclav 1819 births 1872 deaths People from Beroun District Suicides by cyanide poisoning Pathologists from Austria-Hungary Physicians from the Austrian Empire Academic staff of Charles University 1870s suicides Suicides in Austria-Hungary