François Dessertenne
François Yves Marie Maurice Dessertenne (1917-2001) was a French physician and cardiologist.
Dessertenne (1917–2001) is best remembered for coining the term torsades de pointes in 1966. His descriptive and conceptual clarity in characterizing this distinctive polymorphic ventricular tachycardia marked a turning point in clinical electrocardiography. Working primarily at Hôpital Lariboisière in Paris, Dessertenne remained a dedicated clinician whose meticulous ECG observations advanced the understanding of ventricular arrhythmias in the pre-electrophysiology era.
Born on 29 September 1917, Dessertenne studied medicine at the Faculté de Médecine de Paris. His doctoral thesis, submitted in 1945, focused on “endocardite maligne lente de Jaccoud‑Osler” and emerging chemotherapeutic treatments. In 1948, he began his academic career as Assistant Professor of Medicine at Hôpital Lariboisière, under the mentorship of Professor Yves Bouvrain (1910–2002).
Dessertenne’s early research concentrated on the interpretation of ventricular fibrillation in the electrocardiogram, producing key publications in 1964 that laid the foundation for his later breakthroughs. In 1966, he introduced the term torsades de pointes to describe a form of ventricular tachycardia with a characteristic “twisting of the points” morphology. Inspired by architectural motifs and aided by a hair comb to illustrate wave morphology, the term and its underlying pattern became a cornerstone of modern arrhythmology.
Though not an experimentalist, Dessertenne’s legacy lies in his precise clinical observation. His work continued to be cited and translated decades later, and his name remains attached to one of the most recognizable and clinically significant arrhythmias in modern cardiology.
Biography
- 1917 – Born September 29, in Amiens, Somme, France
- 1945 – MD; doctoral thesis: Revue critique des nouveaux traitements chimiothérapiques appliqués à l’endocardite maligne lente de Jaccoud-Osler. Thèse de médecine. Paris
- 1948 – Assistant Professor of Medicine, Hôpital Lariboisière, France. Assistant to Prof Yves Bouvrain (1910-2002)
- 1954 – Married Marguerite-Marie Le Gouvello du Timat
- 1964 – Published foundational ECG studies on ventricular fibrillation
- 1966 – Coined the term torsades de pointes; published landmark ECG analysis in Archives des Maladies du Cœur et des Vaisseaux and Actualités Cardiologiques
- 1990–1991 – Original works reprinted and translated in Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy
- 2001 – Died June 4, 12E-Arrondissement, Paris, France aged 83 years
- 1964 – Published foundational ECG studies on ventricular fibrillation
- 1966 – Coined the term torsades de pointes; published landmark ECG analysis in Archives des Maladies du Cœur et des Vaisseaux and Actualités Cardiologiques
- 1990–1991 – Original works reprinted and translated in Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy
- 2001 – Died June 4 in Paris, France (confirmed via SUDOC and civil registry)
Medical Eponyms
Torsades de pointes (1966)
Torsades de pointes is a polymorphic ventricular tachycardia characterized by a sinusoidal twisting of the QRS complexes around the isoelectric line, typically associated with QT interval prolongation. François Dessertenne introduced the term in 1966, using a hair comb and a dictionary definition to conceptualize the name and waveform. Though similar patterns had been previously described, Dessertenne was the first to identify and individualize the arrhythmia as a distinct clinical entity.
1965 – Dessertenne et al demonstrated that the progressive variations of amplitude observed were distinct from ventricular fibrillation, and they coined the term torsades de pointes
Controversies
Most references state death in 2006. However, his full name of François Yves Marie Maurice Dessertenne is recorded with his 1945 thesis. The French civil registry and SUDOC (Système Universitaire de Documentation) has recorded date of death as June 4, 2001 in Paris
Torsade(s) de(s) pointe(s)
The term “torsades de pointes,” while widely adopted, has sparked decades-long debate over its grammatical correctness and original intent in French. François Dessertenne, in his seminal 1966 paper, used “torsades de pointes” six times and “torsade de pointes” once and “les torsades de pointes” thrice— but never “des.” The inconsistency seeded a linguistic tangle still unresolved.
Original Inspiration: Dessertenne likened the ECG pattern to architectural torsades (twisted column motifs) described in the Robert Dictionary, and to the asymmetrical pointed teeth of a comb twisted along its axis — visualising the “twisting” of QRS peaks, the pointes.
Dessertenne held one end of a comb still and rotate the other end along the long axis of the comb. The relative rigidity of the comb stops the rotation before 180°. A 180° rotation would be needed to fully demonstrate how the points of these teeth and the intermediary gap simulated, respectively, the pointed side and the broad side of the asymmetrical electrographic waves that formed the torsades de pointes.
Plural Confusion: Should the phrase be singular (torsade de pointe), plural-singular (torsades de pointes), or fully plural (torsades des pointes)? The eminent French cardiologist Guy Fontaine (1936-2018) posed this question at a dinner party in 1991, in Liège:
- Robert Slama argues for “de pointes” stating an “s” is always needed after “pointe” implying more than one QRS complexes are twisting around the isoelectric line.
- Paul Puech, after consulting the Comité de Défense de la Langue Française supports “de pointe” — focusing on the twisting occurring at the single tip of each QRS.
Finally Mullins (2011) advocated for the fully pluralised “torsades des pointes”, asserting that “each word must be plural,” and noting that Dessertenne originally used les (plural “the”).
In summary – use what you feel best demonstrates the ECG findings, and use it consistently. For my part I am sticking with Dessertenne, his original description and the term he used most often with ‘torsades de pointes‘
Major Publications
- Dessertenne FYMM. Revue critique des nouveaux traitements chimiothérapiques appliqués à l’endocardite maligne lente de Jaccoud-Osler. Thèse de médecine. Paris. 1945. N° 580
- Dessertenne F. Considerations sur I’ECG de la fibrillation ventriculaire. Archives des Maladies du Cœur et des Vaisseaux 1964; 57: 1421-1437.
- Dessertenne F. La fibrillation ventriculaire. Semaine des hôpitaux de Paris 1964; 40: 1791-1794
- Dessertenne F. La tachycardie ventriculaire à deux foyers opposés variables [Ventricular tachycardia with 2 variable opposing foci]. Archives des Maladies du Cœur et des Vaisseaux 1966; 59(2): 263–272
- Dessertenne F. Ventricular tachycardia with two variable foci. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 1990; 4(4): 1171-1176.
- Dessertenne F, Coumel P, Fabiato A. Ventricular fibrillation and torsades de pointes. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 1990;4(4):1177-1182.
- Dessertenne F, Fabiato A, Coumel P. Un chapitre nouveau d’électrocardiographie: les variations progressives de l’amplitude de l’électrocardiogramme [A new chapter in electrocardiography: progressive variations in the amplitude of the electrocardiogram] Actualités cardiologiques et angéiologiques internationales. 1966 Oct-Dec; 15(4): 241-58. [Reprint: Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 1991; 5(1): 171-190.]
- Dessertenne F. Le complexe électrique ventriculaire à phase lente prolongée [The ventricular electrical complex with prolonged slow phase]. Sem Hop. 1967 Feb 14;43(8):539-41
- Dessertenne F, Refet A, Bonnafous JP. Le syndrome polygraphique. Sa definition. Ses modifications spontanées ou provoquées [The polygraphic syndrome. Its definition. Its spontaneous or induced modifications]. Sem Hop. 1967 Sep 10;43(38):2299-303.
- Dessertenne F. Mécano-phono-cardiographie : notions fondamentales sur les enregistrements externes des mouvements et des bruits du cœur (Préface de Y. Bouvrain). 1972
- Dessertenne F, Prissette Y, Leveque D, Gros JJ. Le bruit de Triolet [Triolet’s bruit]. Ann Med Interne (Paris). 1973 Nov;124(11):781-8.
- Dessertenne F, Gros JJ, Prissette Y, Le Touzey JP. Le plateau du cardiogramme de pointe [The plateau of the apex cardiogram]. Sem Hop. 1976 Jun 23;52(24):1453-8.
- Dessertenne F. Ventricular tachycardia with two variable foci. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 1990 Aug;4(4):1171-6.
- Dessertenne F, Coumel P, Fabiato A. Ventricular fibrillation and torsades de pointes. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 1990 Aug;4(4):1177-82.
- Dessertenne F, Fabiato A, Coumel P. A new chapter of electrocardiography: the progressive variations in the amplitude of the electrocardiogram. 1966. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 1991 Feb;5(1):171-90.
References
Biography
- Fabiato A, Coumel P. Torsades de pointes, a quarter of a century later: a tribute to Dr. F. Dessertenne. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 1991 Feb;5(1):167-9.
- Francois Dessertenne. BIU Sante
Eponymous terms
- Parrish C, Wooster WE, Braen GR, Robertson HD. Les torsades des pointes. Ann Emerg Med. 1982 Mar;11(3):143-6.
- Curtis MJ. Torsades de pointes: arrhythmia, syndrome, or chimera? A perspective in the light of the Lambeth Conventions. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 1991 Feb;5(1):191-200
- Priori SG, Napolitano C, Schwartz PJ. Electrophysiologic mechanisms involved in the development of torsades de pointes. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 1991 Feb;5(1):203-12.
- Fontaine G. A new look at torsades de pointes. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1992; 644: 157-177.
- Mullins ME. Mon bête noir (my pet peeve). J Med Toxicol. 2011; 7(2): 181.
Eponym
the person behind the name
