Revisiting Avicenna's (980–1037 AD) anatomy of the abdominal viscera from the Canon of Medicine

Avicenna (980–1037 A.D) was the most influential Iranian physician and philosopher in the medieval era. Avicenna composed and compiled treaties on various aspects of medicine in his famous book the Canon of Medicine. Avicenna's treaties have inspired countless debates in all fields of medicine including basic medical sciences. In his treaties, Avicenna adopted the practical approach to the descriptions of the human body and the diseases associated. He made substantial contribution to the medical literature and medical education through his observations and clinical studies. In the current treaties we analysed the anatomy extracts on the topographic and functional anatomy on the abdominal viscera including the gastrointestinal tract presented in the Canon of Medicine and compared to them to extant anatomical textbooks, particularly those adopted in modern curriculums. We found that Avicenna described fairly the anatomy and topographic relations of the abdominal viscera and associated digestive organs. Avicenna's anatomy contributed immensely to the evolution of anatomical sciences and related medical disciplines despite being written 1000 years ago.