ПУРПУРА НА SCHÖNLEIN-HENOCH: ХОРАТА ЗАД ЕПОНИМА
SCHÖNLEIN-HENOCH PURPURA: THE MEN BEHIND THE EPONYM

Summary/Abstract: Schönlein-Henoch purpura is known as an eponym of IgA vasculitis affecting the small vessels in the skin, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. The disease is named to the prominent German scientists Johann Schönlein (1793-1864) and his student Eduard Henoch (1820-1910) who described the illness. Schönlein was born on November 30th, 1793 in Bamberg, Germany, as the only son of a rope maker. He studied medicine in Landshut and Würzburg. Schönlein was a professor of internal medicine at the universities of Würzburg (1824-1833), Zürich (1833-1840), and Berlin (1840-1859). He found and described (1839) the causative agent of favus, a fungus named after him – Achorion schönleinii. This was the first instance of a human disease that could be clearly attributed to the action of a microorganism. In 1834, Schönlein introduced the term „tuberculosis“ (in German – Tuberkulose) derived from „tubercle“, the word describing the characteristic lesions of consumption. His work on purpura rheumatic or „purpura rubra“ was published in „Allgemeine und specielle Pathologie“ (1834) where Schölein described the petechiae and some pathologic changes in the urine. He retired in 1859 and went to live with his daughters after both his wife and son died, and his own health began to deteriorate. Johann Schönlein died in Bamberg on January 23th, 1864. Eduard Henoch was born on July, 16th 1820 in Berlin and was of Jewish descent. His incle was Moritz Romberg (1795-1873) who described the „Romberg sing“ in tabes dorsalis due to syphilis. Henoch graduated in doctor of medicine in Berlin (1843). From 1844 he became assistant at the Berlin University Polyclinic and began to publish paediatric studies in „Journal für Kinderkrankeiten“. In 1845, he published a book entitled „Comparative pathology of the diseases of locomotor and nervous systems of man and domestic animals“. In 1850, Henoch was habilitated as privat-dozent, and from 1872 he became director of the clinic and polyclinic for children’s diseases at the Berlin Charité. In 1874, he published the article „Ueber eine eigenhümliche Form von Purpura“ where he described 4 children with purpura, diarrhea, colics and melaena. In 3 of them the patients had rheumatic oedema. Since that time the disease is known as Schönlein-Henoch purpura. Henoch is best known for his most important textbook „Lectures on children’s diseases“ (1881). He retired in 1893 and died in 1910, at the age of 90.

• Details
• Contents