Vasalva mucho más que una maniobra. Antonio María Valsalva (1666-1723)

Abstract

Valsalva is a term commonly used to designate a special maneuver, consisting in a forced expiratory effort against a closed airway. We use Valsalva's maneuver many times in our clinical practice and we usually do not think about its origin. Most people do not know that this was originally described by an outstanding anatomist, surgeon and pathologist, Antonio Maria Valsalva, the mentor of another great anatomist, Giovanni Battista Morgagni. Valsalva's contribution was vast and description of Valsalva's maneuver was only a small fraction of the legacy that he left us, almost three hundreds years ago. We render a tribute to a great man, and learn about his life and work. © 2006 Sociedad Médica de Santiago.