Anatomical and medical terminology: new challenges and perspectives

In science and medicine, terminology is a precise system of terms that are generally accepted in a given discipline. In anatomy, it is important to distinguish between terminology and nomenclature, which is an officially accepted set of terms arranged according to certain rules and principles. The Terminologia Anatomica (1998) has been the golden standard in the field of terminology, even though it contains minor errors, inaccuracies, discrepancies, multiplication of terms, inconvenient terms as well as synonyms and identical names for different structures. All of these problems need to be solved in the future, which is a key cchallenge in the field. Another major challenge is to create a clear, precise, logical, flawless and worldwide accepted list of anatomical terms that would cover all the names that are used in education and clinical practice. Many researchers and clinicians assert that this task is still ahead of us. The aim of this article is to explain why the longstanding tradition of medical terminology should be respected and why major and rapid changes should never be endorsed. Anatomical terminology, if correctly used, is a basic tool of communication both within and outside the field. It is also a guide through the intricacies of the human anatomy.