Valsalva manoeuvre: A confusing dichotomatic misnomer.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to try to understand the origin of the definition of the Valsalva manoeuvre by going back to original documents and finding out at which moment, the eponym was given to these two different manoeuvres, and their congruence to reality.

METHODS

Historical study of selected textbooks and articles about the Valsalva manoeuvre.

RESULTS

Valsalva effectively described the manoeuvre against closed nostrils and mouth at the beginning of the 18th century, but he was not the first. On the contrary, Valsalva did not describe the manoeuvre against a closed glottis. This was a mid-20th century creation.

CONCLUSIONS

Two questions remain: 1. What should be done with the eponymous appellation of the manoeuvre with closed mouth and nostrils? Certainly to keep it, even if Valsalva was not the first to clearly describe it. 2. What to do with the eponymous appellation of the manoeuvre with a closed glottis? It would be ideal to change it, as it is misnamed, confusing, and only recently formulated.