sinus of Valsalva

Valsalva

,

Antonio Maria

(1666–1723), Italian anatomist. In 1704 Valsalva published a major treatise on the anatomy and physiology of the human ear. Among other things this work is notable for its outstanding illustrations. For the middle ear he gave clear illustrations of the hammer and the tube, calling the latter the eustachian tube. He described the morphology of the pharyngeal musculature and the muscle fasciae controlling the eustachian tube. In his treatise on the ear he introduced the Valsalva maneuver. The maneuver was originally designed as a method of removing foreign bodies from the ear. As a surgeon Valsalva did work in ophthalmology and rhinology and performed vascular and tumor surgery.