Jan G. Waldenström
Encyclopedia
Jan Gösta Waldenström was a Swedish doctor of internal medicine
, who first described the disease which bears his name, Waldenström's macroglobulinemia.
He was born in Stockholm
, and arose from a medical family: his father, Johann Henning Waldenström (1877-1972) was a professor of orthopedic surgery in Stockholm, and his grandfather, Johan Anton Waldenström (1839-1879) was professor of internal medicine in Uppsala.
Waldenström obtained his M.D. degree at the University of Uppsala, and studied organic chemistry with Hans Fischer
at the Technical University of Munich
. He was professor of theoretical medicine at the University of Uppsala in 1941, and became professor of practical medicine at the University of Lund in 1944. He was the head of the Department of Medicine at Malmö General Hospital until his retirement in 1972.
Waldenström first described, in 1944, patients suffering from a disease that has subsequently been named for him, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinema, a "hyperviscosity syndrome" in which symptoms are caused by abnormal lymphocytes which prevent normal bone marrow function, causing anemia and hepatosplenomegaly, and which secrete large immunoglobulins, causing bleeding difficulties.
Waldenström's other clinical investigations included studies on the various porphyria
s, on the benign hypergammaglobulinemic purpura of Waldenström, on chonic active hepatitis, pulmonary hemosidersosis, on Bruton's hypogammaglobulinemia, paraneoplastic phenomena, and on carcinoid syndrome
. He originated the concept of classification of gammopathies as "monoclonal gammopahies" vs. "polyclonal gammopathies" in 1961.
He was a member of the National Academy of Science in the United States, the French Academy of Sciences
, and was an honorary member of the Royal Society of Medicine
, London.
Internal medicine
Internal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Physicians specializing in internal medicine are called internists. They are especially skilled in the management of patients who have undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes...
, who first described the disease which bears his name, Waldenström's macroglobulinemia.
He was born in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, and arose from a medical family: his father, Johann Henning Waldenström (1877-1972) was a professor of orthopedic surgery in Stockholm, and his grandfather, Johan Anton Waldenström (1839-1879) was professor of internal medicine in Uppsala.
Waldenström obtained his M.D. degree at the University of Uppsala, and studied organic chemistry with Hans Fischer
Hans Fischer
Hans Fischer was a German organic chemist and the recipient of the 1930 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.-Early years:...
at the Technical University of Munich
Technical University of Munich
The Technische Universität München is a research university with campuses in Munich, Garching, and Weihenstephan...
. He was professor of theoretical medicine at the University of Uppsala in 1941, and became professor of practical medicine at the University of Lund in 1944. He was the head of the Department of Medicine at Malmö General Hospital until his retirement in 1972.
Waldenström first described, in 1944, patients suffering from a disease that has subsequently been named for him, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinema, a "hyperviscosity syndrome" in which symptoms are caused by abnormal lymphocytes which prevent normal bone marrow function, causing anemia and hepatosplenomegaly, and which secrete large immunoglobulins, causing bleeding difficulties.
Waldenström's other clinical investigations included studies on the various porphyria
Porphyria
Porphyrias are a group of inherited or acquired disorders of certain enzymes in the heme bio-synthetic pathway . They are broadly classified as acute porphyrias and cutaneous porphyrias, based on the site of the overproduction and accumulation of the porphyrins...
s, on the benign hypergammaglobulinemic purpura of Waldenström, on chonic active hepatitis, pulmonary hemosidersosis, on Bruton's hypogammaglobulinemia, paraneoplastic phenomena, and on carcinoid syndrome
Carcinoid syndrome
Carcinoid syndrome refers to the array of symptoms that occur secondary to carcinoid tumors. The syndrome includes flushing and diarrhea, and, less frequently, heart failure and bronchoconstriction...
. He originated the concept of classification of gammopathies as "monoclonal gammopahies" vs. "polyclonal gammopathies" in 1961.
He was a member of the National Academy of Science in the United States, the French Academy of Sciences
French Academy of Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research...
, and was an honorary member of the Royal Society of Medicine
Royal Society of Medicine
The Royal Society of Medicine is a British charitable organisation whose main purpose is as a provider of medical education, running over 350 meetings and conferences each year.- History and overview :...
, London.
Publications
- J. Waldenström: Studien über Porphyrie, Dissertation. Acta Medica Scandinavica, Stockholm, 1937; supplement 82: 1-254.
- J. Waldenström: "The porphyrias as inborn errors of metabolism", The American Journal of Medicine, 1957, 22: 758-773.
- Jan G. Waldenström, Reflections and Recollections from a Long Life with Medicine, Rome, Ferrata Storti Foundation Publication, 1994. ISBN 887002654X.
- Waldenström J, Ljungberg E: Studies on the functional circulatory influence from metastasizing carcinoid (argentaffine, enterochromaffine) tumours and their possible relationship to enteramine production. Acta Med Scand 152:293, 1955