Jacob Churg
Jacob Churg (1910–2005) was a Belarussian/Polish born American practicing pathologist.
Churg was a Russian-born American pathologist and one of the most influential figures in renal and pulmonary pathology. He is best known for his collaborative description with Lotte Strauss (1913–1985), of Churg-Strauss Syndrome (CSS) in 1951, a rare systemic vasculitis affecting small to medium-sized vessels, particularly associated with asthma and eosinophilia.
Churg was born in what was then Russia (now Poland), and completed his early medical training in Poland before emigrating to the United States in the late 1930s. He initially trained in internal medicine but found his calling in pathology, captivated by histological detail and diagnostic complexity. After settling in the U.S., Churg undertook extensive training in anatomic and clinical pathology, eventually becoming board-certified and a leading figure in renal pathology.
Over the course of his career, Churg authored or co-authored hundreds of influential articles, monographs, and books. His collaboration with Dr. Lotte Strauss in the early 1950s on a distinct clinicopathological syndrome of asthma, eosinophilia, and granulomatous necrotising vasculitis gave rise to the now eponymous Churg–Strauss syndrome, currently classified as eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA).
Biography
- 1910 – Born on July 16, 1910 in Daŭhinava, Belarus (At various times deemed within Russia, Poland or Belarus)
- 1933 – Graduated Medicine, University of Wilno (Poland); began postgraduate training
- 1936 – Political unrest in Europe and emigrated to New York where his uncle (Louis Chargin) was chief physician at the skin clinic, The Mount Sinai Hospital; undertook pathology training and passed pathology boards
- 1937 – Commenced work in the bacteriological laboratory, researching the toxicity of various sulphonamides
- 1940s – Joined Mount Sinai Hospital, New York; early work on autopsy material led to foundational studies in renal pathology
- 1951 – Co-described Churg–Strauss syndrome (now EGPA) with Dr. Lotte Strauss, identifying a new form of necrotising vasculitis with asthma and eosinophilia
- 1950s–1970s – Led pioneering efforts in renal pathology, contributing extensively to biopsy-based diagnostics and treatment strategies; Clinical professor of pathology
- 1970s–1990s – Continued publication of landmark studies, particularly in glomerulopathies and interstitial nephritis; John Peters Award, American Society of Nephrology (1988)
- 2005 – Died on July 27 in New York, leaving a lasting legacy in nephrology and pathology
Medical Eponyms
Churg–Strauss syndrome (1951)
Now known as Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). EGPA is eosinophil-rich, necrotizing granulomatous inflammation often involving the respiratory tract; with necrotizing vasculitis predominantly affecting small to medium vessels; and associated with asthma and eosinophilia
Allergic granulomatosis is a clinical and pathologic syndrome occurring in individuals with an allergic background. It is characterized by fever, leukocytosis, eosinophilia and frequent pulmonary infiltrations… accompanied by manifestation of systemic—vascular, cardiac, gastro-intestinal, renal, nervous and cutaneous—involvement.
Contributions to Renal Pathology
Churg was instrumental in transitioning renal pathology from autopsy-based to biopsy-based analysis. Through meticulous histological examination, he helped establish the diagnostic criteria for various glomerular diseases, such as membranous nephropathy and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.
His teachings and publications laid the foundation for modern nephropathology. His work on the correlation between biopsy findings and clinical outcomes influenced therapeutic decisions for decades.
Major Publications
- Churg J, Strauss L. Allergic granulomatosis. Am J Pathol. 1949; 25(4): 817
- Churg J, Strauss L. Allergic Granulomatosis, Allergic Angiitis, and Periarteritis Nodosa. Am J Pathol. 1951;27(2):277–301. [Churg-Strauss syndrome]
- Strauss L, Churg J, Zak FG. Cutaneous lesions of allergic granulomatosis: a histopathologic study. J Invest Dermatol. 1951;17(6):349-359
- Churg J, Sobin LH. Renal Disease: Classification and Atlas of Glomerular Diseases. Igaku-Shoin Medical. 1982
- Churg J, Cotran RS, Sinniah R, Sakaguchi H, Sobin LH. Renal Disease: Classification and Atlas of Tubulo-Interstitial Diseases. Igaku-Shoin Medical. 1985
- Sinniah R, Churg J. Renal Disease: Classification and Atlas of Infectious and Tropical Diseases. Amer Society. 1989
- Churg A, Churg J. Systemic Vasculitides. Igaku-Shoin Medical. 1991
- Churg J, Bernstein J, Glassock RJ. Renal Disease: Classification and Atlas of Glomerular Diseases Igaku-Shoin Medical. 1995
References
Biography
- Grishman E. The man behind the eponym. Dr. Jacob Churg. Am J Dermatopathol. 1986 Aug;8(4):358-9.
- Cotran RS. Fifth annual John Peters award, American Society of Nephrology. Award recipients: Jacob Churg and Conrad Pirani. Kidney Int. 1988 Jul;34(1):121-3.
- Proceedings from the symposium on Progress in Renal Diseases in honor of Dr Jacob Churg’s 75th birthday. New York, New York, May 23rd, 1986. Am J Kidney Dis. 1987 Sep;10(3):155-230.
- Blantz R. Dr. Jacob Churg. International Society of Nephrology – Video Legacy Project. 1997
- Aufses AH Jr, Niss BJ. This House of Noble Deeds: The Mount Sinai Hospital, 1852-2002. 2002: 23, 194, 293, 296
Eponymous terms
- de Campos FPF, Geller SA. Churg-Strauss Syndrome: a syndrome described on clinical observation and autopsy findings. Autopsy and Case Reports 2013;3(2):1-4
Eponym
the person behind the name
Dr. Tim Friedmann, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is an Assistant Program Director for the residency program and works clinically at Mount Sinai Hospital and Elmhurst Hospital | Sinai EM |
