Edward Alfred Cockayne
Encyclopedia
Edward Alfred Cockayne was an English physician specializing in pediatrics
. He spent most of his medical career at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children in London.
Cockayne was particularly interested in endocrinology
, and rare, genetic diseases of children. In 1946 he recognized a disease that would be named after him, called Cockayne's syndrome. This is a rare multisystem disorder characterized by dwarfism
, pigmentary retinopathy
, impaired nervous system
development, and facial abnormalities. This disease has since been divided into three subtypes:
In 1933 he published the "Inherited Abnormalities of the Skin and its Appendages". This was the first book that dealt exclusively with genodermatoses (inherited skin disorders).
Besides his medical work, Cockayne was an entomologist. He amassed a large collection of butterflies and moths, which in 1947 was donated to the Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum
at Tring
, Hertfordshire
. In 1943 he became president of the Royal Society of Entomology.
Pediatrics
Pediatrics or paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician or paediatrician...
. He spent most of his medical career at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children in London.
Cockayne was particularly interested in endocrinology
Endocrinology
Endocrinology is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions called hormones, the integration of developmental events such as proliferation, growth, and differentiation and the coordination of...
, and rare, genetic diseases of children. In 1946 he recognized a disease that would be named after him, called Cockayne's syndrome. This is a rare multisystem disorder characterized by dwarfism
Dwarfism
Dwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....
, pigmentary retinopathy
Retinopathy
Retinopathy is a general term that refers to some form of non-inflammatory damage to the retina of the eye. Frequently, retinopathy is an ocular manifestation of systemic disease.-Pathophysiology:Causes of retinopathy are varied:...
, impaired nervous system
Nervous system
The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous...
development, and facial abnormalities. This disease has since been divided into three subtypes:
- Cockayne syndrome I, or Classic Cockayne Syndrome: in which facial and somatic abnormalities develop during childhood. Due to progressive neurological degeneration, death occurs in the second or third decade.
- Cockayne syndrome II, or Severe Cockayne Syndrome: in which facial and somatic abnormalities are present at birth. Death usually results by the age of seven.
- Cockayne syndrome III: milder than Cockayne I & II, and its onset happens later than the other two types.
In 1933 he published the "Inherited Abnormalities of the Skin and its Appendages". This was the first book that dealt exclusively with genodermatoses (inherited skin disorders).
Besides his medical work, Cockayne was an entomologist. He amassed a large collection of butterflies and moths, which in 1947 was donated to the Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum
Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum
The Natural History Museum at Tring was the private museum of Lionel Walter, 2nd Baron Rothschild, today it is under the control of the Natural History Museum. It houses one of the finest collections of stuffed mammals, birds, reptiles and insects in the United Kingdom...
at Tring
Tring
Tring is a small market town and also a civil parish in the Chiltern Hills in Hertfordshire, England. Situated north-west of London and linked to London by the old Roman road of Akeman Street, by the modern A41, by the Grand Union Canal and by rail lines to Euston Station, Tring is now largely a...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. In 1943 he became president of the Royal Society of Entomology.
External links
- Additional information on Cockayne's Syndrome (PDF)
- Edward Alfred Cockayne @ Who Named ItWho Named ItWho Named It? is an English-language dictionary of medical eponyms and the people associated with their identification. Though this is a dictionary, many eponyms and persons are presented in extensive articles with comprehensive bibliographies. It is hosted in Norway and maintained by medical...
- http://www.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/research/projects/cockayne/taxon.dsml?nametype=scientific&searchtype=taxon&sort=taxon-euro&taxonname=pieris&sex=Male&side=upper&provenance=native&recLimit=20&format=gallery&beginIndex=0&searchPageURL=index.dsml%3fnametype%3dscientific%26searchtype%3dtaxon%26sort%3dtaxon%252deuro%26taxonname%3dpieris%26sex%3dMale%26side%3dupper%26provenance%3dnative%26recLimit%3d20%26format%3dgallery&listPageURL=list.dsml%3fnametype%3dscientific%26searchtype%3dtaxon%26sort%3dtaxon%252deuro%26taxonname%3dpieris%26sex%3dMale%26side%3dupper%26provenance%3dnative%26recLimit%3d20%26format%3dgalleryNHM] Cockayne collection (typical page)