Fritz de Quervain
Encyclopedia
Fritz de Quervain was a Swiss surgeon born in Sion
. He was a leading authority on thyroid disease
.
In 1892 he received his doctorate from the University of Bern, and several years later became director of the surgical department at a hospital in La Chaux-de-Fonds
in the canton of Neuchâtel. In 1910 he was appointed to the chair of surgery at the University of Basel
, and from 1918 was a professor of surgery at Bern and director of the Inselspital.
De Quervain published many papers devoted to thyroid
disease, ranging from the epidemiology
of the disease to technical procedures on thyroidectomy
. His book Spezielle chirurgische Diagnostik (Special Surgical Diagnosis) was a leading textbook on surgery in its day.
He is responsible for introducing iodized table salt in order to help prevent Goitre
. Two eponymous diseases are named after De Quervain:
Sion, Switzerland
Sion is the capital of the Swiss canton of Valais. it had a population of .Landmarks include the Basilique de Valère and Château de Tourbillon. Sion has an airfield for civilian and military use, which, because of its location in a valley, causes a reasonable amount of noise pollution. FC Sion...
. He was a leading authority on thyroid disease
Thyroid disease
-Hyper- and hypofunction:Imbalance in production of thyroid hormones arises from dysfunction of the thyroid gland itself, the pituitary gland, which produces thyroid-stimulating hormone , or the hypothalamus, which regulates the pituitary gland via thyrotropin-releasing hormone . Concentrations of...
.
In 1892 he received his doctorate from the University of Bern, and several years later became director of the surgical department at a hospital in La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux-de-Fonds is a Swiss city of the district of La Chaux-de-Fonds in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is located in the Jura mountains at an altitude of 1000 m, a few kilometres from the French border. After Geneva and Lausanne, it is the third largest city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of...
in the canton of Neuchâtel. In 1910 he was appointed to the chair of surgery at the University of Basel
University of Basel
The University of Basel is located in Basel, Switzerland, and is considered to be one of leading universities in the country...
, and from 1918 was a professor of surgery at Bern and director of the Inselspital.
De Quervain published many papers devoted to thyroid
Thyroid
The thyroid gland or simply, the thyroid , in vertebrate anatomy, is one of the largest endocrine glands. The thyroid gland is found in the neck, below the thyroid cartilage...
disease, ranging from the epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
of the disease to technical procedures on thyroidectomy
Thyroidectomy
A thyroidectomy is an operation that involves the surgical removal of all or part of the thyroid gland. Surgeons often perform a thyroidectomy when a patient has thyroid cancer or some other condition of the thyroid gland...
. His book Spezielle chirurgische Diagnostik (Special Surgical Diagnosis) was a leading textbook on surgery in its day.
He is responsible for introducing iodized table salt in order to help prevent Goitre
Goitre
A goitre or goiter , is a swelling in the thyroid gland, which can lead to a swelling of the neck or larynx...
. Two eponymous diseases are named after De Quervain:
- De Quervain's thyroiditisDe Quervain's thyroiditisde Quervain's thyroiditis, can also be known as subacute granulomatous thyroiditis or Giant Cell Thyroiditis. Males and females of all ages are affected...
: Subacute, non-bacterial inflammation of the thyroid gland, often after viral infection of respiratory tract. - De Quervain's disease: inflammation of the sheath or tunnel that surrounds two tendonTendonA tendon is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that usually connects muscle to bone and is capable of withstanding tension. Tendons are similar to ligaments and fasciae as they are all made of collagen except that ligaments join one bone to another bone, and fasciae connect muscles to other...
s that control movement of the thumb. Sometimes called "washer woman's sprain".
External links
- Fritz de Quervain @ 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...
See also
- Dominique de QuervainDominique de QuervainDominique de Quervain is a Swiss neuroscientist. He is professor of neuroscience and director of the at the , Switzerland. He is known for his pioneering research into the use of glucocorticoids in the treatment of PTSD and phobias...