Jean Alfred Fournier
Jean–Alfred Fournier (1832-1914) was a French dermatologist.
Fournier was the first French syphilologist; the first professor of cutaneous and syphilitic diseases at the Paris Faculty of Medicine; and a most prominent European dermatovereologist
He specialised in congenital syphillis, stressing the importance of syphilis as a cause of degenerative diseases and parasyphilitic conditions
Keen Medical historian Fournier translated and re-published works on ‘Le Mal francais‘ (The French Evil – Syphillis) by authors including Girolamo Fracastoro (1478–1553); Jean de Vigo (1460–1525)
Biography
- Born on May 12, 1832 at Paris
- 1857 – Intern, Hôpital du Midi under Philippe Ricord (1800–1889) [co-authoring Lectures on chancre]
- 1863 – Médecine des hôpitaux, Hôpital du Midi
- 1867 – Hôtel-Dieu de Paris
- 1876 – Chef de service at the Hôpital Saint-Louis
- 1880 – Member of the Académie de Médecine
- Died on December 25, 1914
Medical Eponyms
Fournier gangrene (1883)
Gangrene foudroyante de la verge (“lightning gangrene of the penis”) was first described by Fournier as an acute onset of idiopathic, fulminating gangrene of the genitalia in young, otherwise healthy males.
Although initially thought to be idiopathic, in the intervening years, multiple origins of infection have been identified, including, but not limited to: trauma to the perineal area/scrotum and extension from a urinary tract or perianal infection. Howevere, unfortunately there remains a significant number of unexplained cases.
A number of key co-morbidities have also been identified since Fournier’s time, which contribute to the likelihood of the disease occurring. Diabetes mellitus is by far the most common (20-70% cases), followed by chronic alcoholism, malignancy and other immunosuppressed states.
What begins as a localised cellulitis related to the site of entry of the culprit bacteria (polymicrobial, often including Klebsiella, Proteus, Streptococcus and Escherichia Coli), Fournier’s gangrene rapidly progresses to become a deep necrotising fasciitis.
Other eopnyms
- Fournier sign (1891) – scars on the mouth following the healing of lesions in congenital syphilis.
- Fournier tibia (1891) Fusiform thickening and anterior bowing of the tibia in congenital syphilis.
- Reactive arthritis (1868)
Major Publications
- Fournier JA. Recherches sur la contagion du chancre. 1857
- Fournier JA. De la contagion syphilitique. 1860
- Fournier JA. Thèse: De l’uremie. 1863
- Fournier A. Le rhumatisme blenorrhagique. Annales de dermatologie et de syphiligraphie (Paris). 1868;1(1):120, 161, 289, 319. [Reactive arthritis]
- Fournier JA. Nouveau carême de pénitence et purgatoire d’expiation, à l’usage des malades affectés du mal française ou mal vénérien. 1871
- Fournier JA. On the treatment of syphilis. 1872
- Fournier JA. Leçons sur la syphilis : étudiée plus particulièrement chez la femme. 1873
- Fournier JA. De l’ataxie locomotrice d’origine syphilitique. 1875
- Fournier JA. Clinical lecture on syphilitic gummata. 1875
- Fournier JA. Syphilis et mariage [Syphilis and marriage]. 1880
- Fournier JA. Gangrene foudroyante de la verge. Semaine médicale. 1883; 2: 345-347 [Translated: Dis Colon Rectum. 1988;31(12):984-988.] [Fournier gangrene]
- Fournier JA. Etude clinique de la gangrene foudroyante de la verge. Semaine médicale. 1884; 4: 69.
- Fournier JA. Traité de la syphilis. 1898
- Fournier JA. Tabès d’origine hérédo-syphilitique probable: fracture spontanée. 1886.
- Fournier JA. L’hérédité syphilitique: leçons cliniques. 1891 [Fournier sign] [Fournier tibia]
References
Biography
- Darier J. Alfred Fournier: 1832-1914. 1915
- Besson BB. Alfred Fournier, his life and works. Arch Derm Syph 1924; 10: 297-303,
- Toodayan N. Jean Alfred Fournier (1832-1914): His contributions to dermatology. Our Dermatol Online; 2015.4-32
- Waugh MA. Alfred Fournier, 1832-1914. His influence on venereology. Br J Vener Dis. 1974 Jun; 50(3): 232–236.
Eponymous terms
- Di Serafino M. A clinical case of Fournier’s gangrene: imaging ultrasound. J Ultrasound. 2014 Dec; 17(4): 303–306.
- Morpurgo E, Galandiuk S. Fournier’s gangrene. Surg Clin North Am. 2002 Dec;82(6):1213-24.
- Levenson RB, Singh AK, Novelline RA. Fournier gangrene: role of imaging. Radiographics. 2008 Mar-Apr;28(2):519-28.
Eponym
the person behind the name
