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List of medical eponyms with Nazi associations

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An eponym is a phrase that is derived from or based on a person's name.[1] Medical conditions are often named after the person who first described the disorder and can also be named after the first person in whom the disorder presented or the area in which it first appeared.[2][1] Germany lost many scientists as a result of the persecution of Jewish people, and others, during World War II. Many Austrian and German doctors participated in National Socialist euthanasia initiatives. Medical professionals have recently grown increasingly conscious of the moral dilemma posed by eponyms originating from Third Reich scientists.[3]

Because of tradition and lack of accepted substitutes, eponyms remain in use today despite some arguing that they should be abandoned.[1][4] Eponyms frequently add historical background to the description and comprehension of the ailment, connecting it to sociological occurrences, socioeconomic situations, and technological advancements.[1]

List of eponyms

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The following eponyms are those named after people who were associated with the Nazi party or whose research was based on victims of the Nazi regime.

List of medical eponyms with Nazi associations
Term Meaning Named after Replacement term Nazi association of term Refs
Asperger syndrome Developmental disorder that causes difficulties with social skills and repetitive behaviours Hans Asperger Autism spectrum disorder Asperger, in an attempt to gain political status, joined organizations associated with the Nazi Party. While Asperger's views on Jewish people remain unclear, he often pathologized the response Jewish children in his clinic had to the persecution they endured. In 1942, Asperger helped screen residents of a home for disabled children. Asperger assisted in determining the prognosis of the children, choosing which children were "uneducable". The children who were seen as "uneducable" were later "euthanized". [5]
Clara cells Type of epithelial cell in the respiratory system that does not have cilia or mucus and helps with secretion Max Clara Club cells Clara, a German anatomist, was an outspoken member of the Nazi party and was arrested by the United States Army for such in 1945. Clara used his political power to further his career. During his time at Leipzig University, Clara was involved in university politics such as using his political opinions to persuade others to decide who should get scholarships and jobs. During his studies in Leipzig, such as his finding of club cells, Clara used the tissue of executed prisoners from Dresden. Not only did Clara use these bodies for research, but he also advocated for laws to be changed so that researchers could use bodies for research against a family's wishes, which was against the law at the time. Clara and his colleagues also experimented on prisoners who had been sentenced to death. [6]
Cauchois-Eppinger-Frugoni syndrome Blood clot in the main portal vein or its branches inside the liver Hans Eppinger Portal vein thrombosis Eppinger, an Austrian internist, was a Nazi doctor. Upon being summoned to the Nuremberg trials, he killed himself. [7]
Eppinger's spider nevus Type of telangiectasis with a central red spot and thin lines spreading outward like a spider's web Spider nevus or spider angioma
Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome Rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in the PANK2 gene Julius Hallervorden Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration Hallervorden was a psychiatrist who took part in Aktion T-4, an adult euthanasia program. Hallervorden used the program to gain access to post-mortem brains for his research. He helped coordinate the program and went to the "killing centres" to arrange his acquisition of brains from victims after they were killed. [8]
Hugo Spatz Spatz, a friend and coworker of Hallervorden, performed autopsies and research on victims of a euthanasia program. [9]
Spatz-Stiefler reaction Paralysis agitans reaction Paralysis agitans reaction
Beck-Ibrahim disease Rare fungal infection of the skin, usually affecting premature babies Murad Jussuf Bey Ibrahim Congenital cutaneous candidiasis Ibrahim was an Egyptian pediatrician who studied and worked in Berlin. Ibrahim participated in the Nazi eugenics program where he played a role in killing mentally and physically disabled children. [10]
Reiter's disease Inflammatory arthritis triggered by an infection Hans Conrad Julius Reiter Reactive arthritis Reiter was a member of the Nazi party and served as the president of the Reich Health Office. Throughout World War II, he sanctioned experimentation on those in concentration camps. [11]
Van Bogaert-Scherer-Epstein syndrome Rare but treatable inherited disorder affecting bile acid metabolism Hans Joachim Scherer Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis During Scherer's work at the Neurology Institute in Breslau, Silesia, he participated in the analysis of brains from euthanized children at the Loben Psychiatric Clinic for Youth. [12]
Seitelberger disease Neurodegenerative disorder that manifests early in life and progresses rapidly, leading to early death Franz Seitelberger Infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy While Seitelberger was not an active Nazi, he benefited from the Nazis' scientific practices. Seitelberger did research on euthanized victims and studied alongside Hallervorden. [13]
Sudanophilic leukodystrophy of the Seitelberger type A fatal brain disorder where myelin is lost due to abnormal protein folding, affecting certain brain cells Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease
Goebell-Stoeckel-Frangenheim operation Surgery for urinary stress incontinence Walter Stoeckel N/A While Stoeckel was not a direct participant in the Nazis' crimes against humanity, he assisted the Nazi regime. Stoeckel was responsible for the firing of Jewish physicians while he served as the president of the German Society of Gynecology. [14]
Kelly-Stoeckel suture Operation for urinary stress incontinence Anterior colporrhaphy
Schauta-Stoeckel operation Radical vaginal hysterectomy N/A
Wegener's granulomatosis Rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in blood vessels, lung nodules (granulomas), and kidney disease Friedrich Wegener Granulomatosis with polyangiitis Wegener was a member of several Nazi organizations such as the National Socialist German Workers' Party, the Storm Troopers, and the Reich Air Protection League before World War II. In 1941 and 1942, Wegener made oaths of allegiance to Adolf Hitler saying "I pledge: I will be loyal and obedient to the Führer of the German Reich and the Nation – Adolf Hitler, I will fulfil my official duties with conscientiousness and selflessness." and "I pledge that I will be loyal and obedient to the Führer of the German Reich and the Nation – Adolf Hitler, I will obey the law and conscientiously fulfil my official duties, so help me God." [15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Strous & Edelman 2007, p. 207.
  2. ^ Cuerda, González-López & López-Estebaranz 2011, pp. 423–424.
  3. ^ Kondziella 2009, p. 56.
  4. ^ Woywodt & Matteson 2007, p. 424.
  5. ^ Kondziella 2009, p. 59; Woodbury-Smith 2021, p. 322; Czech 2018, pp. 5–7, 11–12, 20–25, 30–31.
  6. ^ Karwacka 2021, p. 87; Harkema, Nikula & Haschek 2018, p. 359; Winkelmann & Noack 2010, pp. 722–725.
  7. ^ Strous & Edelman 2007, pp. 207–208; Hepatobiliary Disease Study Group, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Chinese Medical Association 2021, p. 177; Dong et al. 2022, p. 347; Spiro 1984, p. 493.
  8. ^ Strous & Edelman 2007, p. 208; Schneider 2017, p. 385; Miller 2012, p. 54; Shevell & Peiffer 2001, p. 163.
  9. ^ Strous & Edelman 2007, p. 208; Schneider 2017, p. 385; Voges & Kupsch 2021, pp. 1637–1638.
  10. ^ Strous & Edelman 2007, p. 208; Fernández-Ruiz et al. 2020, p. 68; Cuerda, González-López & López-Estebaranz 2011, p. 425.
  11. ^ Strous & Edelman 2007, pp. 208–209; Handa 2021, p. 87; Lu & Katz 2005, p. 720.
  12. ^ Strous & Edelman 2007, pp. 208–209; Hendriks, Stelten & Verrips 2023, p. 649; Peiffer & Kleihues 1999, p. 242.
  13. ^ Kondziella 2009, p. 57; Altuame et al. 2020, p. 1; Elitt & Tesar 2024, p. 459; Kondziella 2009, p. 60; Martin, Fangerau & Karenberg 2020, pp. 105–107.
  14. ^ Strous & Edelman 2007, pp. 208–210; Wheeless et al. 1977, p. 546; Glazener, Cooper & Mashayekhi 2017, p. 1; Possover 2021, p. 391; Karwacka 2021, p. 86.
  15. ^ Strous & Edelman 2007, p. 208; Cleary et al. 2021, p. 1; Arkuszewski & Cieślak-Arkuszewska 2025, pp. 318, 320.

Works cited

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Further reading

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