Analysis of historical articles published in Actas Urológicas Españolas.

OBJECTIVE: On the 40th anniversary of the edition of Actas Urológicas Españolas, we assess the articles on history to determine the proportion represented, analysing the study subjects and their relevance, getting to know the authors, the main study centres and the interest that the studies offer for understanding the specialty.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We extracted as many subjects of historic content from the journal as were published between January 1976 and December 2016.

RESULT: There were 103 historical studies representing 3% of the total number of articles, with a mean of 2.57 articles published annually, written by 127 separate urologists. As first author, there were 59 articles, and as coauthors, there were 68. The main activity came from 21 of the main university hospitals in Spain, and 43 of the articles were personal articles signed by a single individual. Their content mainly covers the facts of Spanish urology from the Renaissance to the 20th century, with special emphasis on the profile of Spanish specialists. Data on 22 of these specialists are provided in 37 articles. The evolution of diagnostic and treatment procedures, both medical and surgical, are well reflected, as are a number of diseases.

CONCLUSION: Most of the studies are personal works of historical research and represent 3% of the total number of articles. As a whole, the quality is high, and the articles provide data with interesting details and useful reviews, giving them considerable value, as well as forming a precious compendium for the understanding of the history of Spanish urology. These articles are highly recommended reading.