Pierre-Emile Launois was a French physician born in Moiremont

Moiremont

Moiremont is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France....

, a commune in the department of Marne

Marne

Marne is a department in north-eastern France named after the river Marne which flows through the department. The prefecture of Marne is Châlons-en-Champagne...

.

He studied in Reims

Reims

Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....

 and Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, where in 1885 he earned his medical doctorate. He became médecin des hôpitaux in 1895, and professeur agrégé of histology

Histology

Histology is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of plants and animals. It is performed by examining cells and tissues commonly by sectioning and staining; followed by examination under a light microscope or electron microscope...

 in 1898. Afterwards he worked at the Hôpital Lariboisière.

Launois published several articles in the field of histology, but is primarily known for his studies involving the pituitary gland

Pituitary gland

In vertebrate anatomy the pituitary gland, or hypophysis, is an endocrine gland about the size of a pea and weighing 0.5 g , in humans. It is a protrusion off the bottom of the hypothalamus at the base of the brain, and rests in a small, bony cavity covered by a dural fold...

. His name is lent to "Launois' syndrome", which is also referred to as pituitary gigantism. In 1910 with M. Cléret he described "syndrome hypophysaire adiposo-génital", known today as adiposogenital dystrophy

Adiposogenital Dystrophy

Adiposogenital dystrophy is a condition which may be caused by secondary hypogonadism originating from decreased levels in GnRH. Low levels of GnRH has been associated with defects of the feeding centers of the hypothalamus, leading to an increase consumption of food and thus caloric...

, a disorder associated with an adenohypophysial tumour or lesions of the hypothalamus

Hypothalamus

The Hypothalamus is a portion of the brain that contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions...

.

With Raoul Bensaude

Raoul Bensaude

Raoul Bensaude was a French physician born in the Azores. He became a famous gastroenterologist that pioneered proctology in France...

 (1866-1938), he described multiple symmetrical lipomatosis

Lipomatosis

Lipomatosis is a hereditary condition where multiple lipomas are present on the body. Many discrete, encapsulated lipomas form on the trunk and extremities, with relatively few on the head and shoulders...

, which is sometimes known as "Launois-Bensaude syndrome".

Selected written works

• Manuel d'anatomie microscopique et d'histologie, with Henri Morau. Paris 1891; 2nd edition, 1900
• Manuel des travaux pratiques d'histologie, Paris 1897
• Conférences d'histologie appliquée sur les muqueuses, Paris 1905
• Les pères de la biologie, Paris 1905
• Les nouveaux traitements dans les malades nerveuses, with A. Porot. Paris 1907.
• Le syndrome hypophysaire adiposo-génital. Gazette des hôpitaux, with M. Cléret. Paris, 1910, 83: 57-64, 83-86.