Angelo Maffucci
Encyclopedia
Angelo Maria Maffucci was an Italian pathologist born in the town of Calitri
. In 1872 he received his doctorate at Naples
, and later was a professor of pathology in Messina (1882), Catania
(1883) and Pisa
(1884). At the University of Pisa
he became the school's first director of pathological anatomy, and he remained there until his death in 1903.
Maffucci is remembered for isolating the bacteria
that causes avian tuberculosis
. He also discovered that the avian type of tuberculosis had a different aetiology than human and bovine types. In 1881 he described a disorder characterized by enchondroma
tosis associated with multiple cavernous angioma
s. This disorder was to become known as "Maffucci's syndrome", which he documented in an article titled Di un caso encondroma ed angioma multiplo.
Calitri
Calitri is a town and comune of 5,292 inhabitants situated in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy.- Overview :It is situated in Campania but on the borders of the regions of Apulia and Basilicata. It is approximately 530 metres above sea level so even on the hottest day there is generally a...
. In 1872 he received his doctorate at Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, and later was a professor of pathology in Messina (1882), Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
(1883) and Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
(1884). At the University of Pisa
University of Pisa
The University of Pisa , located in Pisa, Tuscany, is one of the oldest universities in Italy. It was formally founded on September 3, 1343 by an edict of Pope Clement VI, although there had been lectures on law in Pisa since the 11th century...
he became the school's first director of pathological anatomy, and he remained there until his death in 1903.
Maffucci is remembered for isolating the bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
that causes avian tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. He also discovered that the avian type of tuberculosis had a different aetiology than human and bovine types. In 1881 he described a disorder characterized by enchondroma
Enchondroma
An Enchondroma is a cartilage cyst found in the bone marrow. Typically, enchondroma is discovered on a X-ray scan. Enchondromas have a characteristic appearance on Magnetic Resonance Imaging as well. They have also been reported to cause increased uptake on PET...
tosis associated with multiple cavernous angioma
Angioma
Angiomas are benign tumors derived from cells of the vascular or lymphatic vessel walls or derived from cells of the tissues surrounding these vessels....
s. This disorder was to become known as "Maffucci's syndrome", which he documented in an article titled Di un caso encondroma ed angioma multiplo.