{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,24]],"date-time":"2026-01-24T07:35:26Z","timestamp":1769240126573,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":61,"publisher":"Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group (JNSPG)","issue":"1","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JNS"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2016,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>A century ago an ambitious young anatomist in Rome, Primo Dorello, who sought to understand the cause of abducent nerve palsy that often occurred in patients with severe middle ear infections, conducted intricate studies on the intracranial course of the nerve. In his findings, he identified that the abducent nerve passes through a narrow sinus near the apex of the petrous bone, which formed an osteofibrous canal. Dorello suggested that in this enclosed region the abducent nerve may be particularly vulnerable to compression due to the vascular edema accompanying the infection. Although his work was widely appreciated, it was not well received by all. Interestingly, Giuseppe Gradenigo, one of the most prominent Italian otologists of the early 20th century, who was known for his work on a triad of symptoms (Gradenigo\u2019s syndrome) that accompanies petrous apicitis, a result of severe middle ear infections, was obstinate in his criticism of Dorello\u2019s findings. Thus a scientific duel began, with a series of correspondence between these two academics\u2014one who was relatively new to the otological community (Dorello) and one who was well reputed in that community (Gradenigo). The disagreement ultimately ebbed in 1909, when Dorello published a report in response to Gradenigo\u2019s criticisms and convinced Gradenigo to change his views.<\/jats:p>\n<jats:p>Today Dorello\u2019s canal is widely recognized as a key landmark in skull base surgery of the petroclival region and holds clinical significance due to its relation to the abducent nerve and surrounding vascular structures. Yet, although academics such as Dorello and Gradenigo are recognized for their work on the canal, it is important not to forget the others throughout history who have contributed to the modern-day understanding of this anatomical structure. In fact, although the level of anatomical detail found in Dorello\u2019s work was previously unmatched, the first description of the canal was made by the experienced Austrian anatomist Wenzel Leopold Gruber in 1859, almost 50 years prior to Dorello\u2019s landmark publication. Another critical figure in building the understanding of Dorello\u2019s canal was Harris Holmes Vail, a young otolaryngologist from Harvard Medical School, who in 1922 became the first person to describe Dorello\u2019s canal in the English language. Vail conducted his own detailed anatomical studies on cadavers, and his publication not only reaffirmed Dorello\u2019s findings but also immortalized the eponym used today\u2014\u201cDorello\u2019s canal.\u201d<\/jats:p>\n<jats:p>In this article the authors review the life and contributions of Gruber, Dorello, Gradenigo, and Vail, four men who played a critical role in the discovery of Dorello\u2019s canal and paved the way toward the current understanding of the canal as a key clinical and surgical entity.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3171\/2014.12.jns14835","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2015,6,26]],"date-time":"2015-06-26T14:00:25Z","timestamp":1435327225000},"page":"224-233","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Gruber, Gradenigo, Dorello, and Vail: key personalities in the historical evolution and modern-day understanding of Dorello\u2019s canal"],"prefix":"10.3171","volume":"124","author":[{"given":"Renuka K.","family":"Reddy","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Neurological Surgery and"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rohit K.","family":"Reddy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Neurological Surgery and"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Robert W.","family":"Jyung","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Otolaryngology\u2014Head & Neck Surgery, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School; and"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jean Anderson","family":"Eloy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Neurological Surgery and"},{"name":"Otolaryngology\u2014Head & Neck Surgery, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School; and"},{"name":"Center for Skull Base and Pituitary Surgery, Neurological Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"James K.","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Neurological Surgery and"},{"name":"Otolaryngology\u2014Head & Neck Surgery, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School; and"},{"name":"Center for Skull Base and Pituitary Surgery, Neurological Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1754","reference":[{"key":"b1-jns14835","series-title":"Neurosurgery","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"510","DOI":"10.1227\/00006123-198803000-00010","article-title":"Petrosal approach for petroclival meningiomas","volume":"22","author":"Al-Mefty","year":"1988"},{"key":"b2-jns14835","series-title":"J Neurol Surg B Skull Base","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"430","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0032-1329628","article-title":"Dorello\u2019s canal and Gruber\u2019s ligament: historical perspective","volume":"73","author":"Ambekar","year":"2012"},{"key":"b3-jns14835","series-title":"JAMA","first-page":"1710","article-title":"The death of Giuseppe Gradenigo","volume":"86","author":"American Medical Association","year":"1926"},{"key":"b4-jns14835","series-title":"Radiology","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"639","DOI":"10.1148\/102.3.639","article-title":"Aneurysms of the internal carotid artery in the carotid canal of the petrous temporal bone","volume":"102","author":"Anderson","year":"1972"},{"key":"b5-jns14835","series-title":"Ricerche di Morfologia","first-page":"5","article-title":"Primo Dorello 1872\u20131963","volume":"28\u201329","author":"Andreassi","year":"1963"},{"key":"b6-jns14835","series-title":"Arch Opthalmol","first-page":"978","article-title":"Archives of Ophthalmology: Obituary: Derrick T. 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