Terminologia Anatomica principles establish the use of Latin as the official language, one single name per term, provide a descriptive value for terms and eliminate eponyms. The advancement of medical science and its relationship with morphological sciences has made necessary new interpretations and amendments in relation to anatomical terms. In 2009 the Latin American Symposium on Anatomy, Histology and Embryology Terminology (SILAT), whose responsibility is to review Latin terminology and suggest and recommend translation into Spanish and Portuguese, was initiated. We conducted an analysis of Facies and Impressio Latin terms meaning face and printing, respectively. In Latin Terminologia Anatomica we reviewed the terms Facies renallis (A13.2.01.009), Facies gastrica (A13.2.01.010), Facies colica (A13.2.01.011) spleen, translated into spanish by the Spanish Anatomical Society (2001) such as kidney printing, colic printing, gastric printing. In view of the above, we conducted a study of the external configuration of the spleen through direct observation and anatomical description treaties. We identified the mistranslation of the term Facies as a print. Based on the Latin Terminology of other structures, which anatomically and morphologically refer to the mark or indentation of one structure over another as Impressio, we suggest a change in Terminologia Anatomica of the terms Facies renallis, Facies gastrica, Facies colica of the spleen for Impressio renalis splenis, Impressio gastrica splenis and Impressio colica splenis. Using correct anatomical terms allows better communication in the teaching and scientific research fields.

KEY WORDS: Terminologia Anatomica; Facies; Face; Impressio; Impression.