Medical eponyms of mythological origin

Eponyms account for a significant part of medical terminology. Their number is estimated to be a few thousands. Almost all of them are anthroponyms and were coined from names of authors describing a disease, symptom, sign, etc. A small portion of medical eponyms are mythonyms, coined from names of mythological figures or creatures. Mythonyms are classified into anatomical, physiological, pathological, psychiatric and psychological groups. Two mythonyms describe the name of one medical specialty (hygiene and venereology). Mythonyms were coined from late Renaissance to the 19th century. Their relationship to a mythological figure is usually complex. Anatomical mythonyms are referring shapes of mythological creatures. Other mythonyms refer to stories or special features of mythological figures. The paper reviews more than 30 mythonyms, and describes their medical meaning, mythological origin and possible relation between the mythological figure and eponym.