Louis Wolff
Louis Wolff (1898 – 1972) was an American cardiologist.
Eponymously remembered in association with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, first described in 1930.
Key interests in coronary artery disease; paroxysmal tachyarrhythmias; electrocardiographic and vectorcardiographic diagnosis of myocardial infarction and the influence of bypass tracts on the diagnosis.
Biography
- 1898 – Born 14 April in Boston
- 1918 – Graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, majored in biology and public health
- 1922 – Medical degree, Harvard Medical School
- 1922 – 1924 Intern, Massachusetts General Hospital
- 1928 – 1964 Chief of the Electrocardiographic Laboratory at Beth Israel Hospital, Boston
- President of the New England Cardiovascular Society
- Clinical professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School
- 1950 – Published book ‘Electrocardiography. Fundamentals and Clinical Application’. WB Saunders, Philadelphia
- 1972 – Died 28 January of Parkinson’s disease
Medical Eponyms
Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome (1930) is a combination of the presence of a congenital accessory pathway and episodes of tachyarrhythmia. When recognised in 1930 during a case study of 11 patients, it was first described as:
Functional bundle-branch block and abnormally short P-R interval, occurring mostly in otherwise healthy young people with paroxysms of tachycardia or of auricular fibrillation
Wolff L, Parkinson J, White PD
Controversies
- Wolff didn’t meet Parkinson until 24 years later at the Second World Congress of Cardiology in 1954
Major Publications
- Wolff L, White PD. Acute coronary occlusion: Report of 23 autopsied cases. Boston Med Surg J 1926; 195: 13-25.
- Wolff L, Parkinson J, White PD. Bundle-branch block with short P-R interval in healthy young people prone to paroxysmal tachycardia. American Heart Journal. 1930; 5: 685-704 [Reprint: Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol. 2006; 11(4): 340-53.]
- Wolff L. Angina pectoris (or status anginosus) and cardiac asthma induced by paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and paroxysmal tachycardia; The value of quinidine sulfate in treatment of these conditions. N Engl J Med 1933;208:1194-1197.
- Orgain E, Wolff L, White P. Uncomplicated auricular fibrillation and auricular flutter. Archives of Internal Medicine. 1936; 57(3): 493 – 513.
- Wolff L. Electrocardiography – Fundamentals and clinical application. 1950
- Wolff L. Syndrome of Short P-R Interval with Abnormal QRS Complexes and Paroxysmal Tachycardia (Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome). Circulation. 1954; 10(2): 282-291.
- Wolff L. The vectorcardiographic diagnosis of myocardial infarction. Dis Chest. 1955; 27(3): 263-81.
- Wolff L et al. Vectorcardiographic diagnosis. A correlation with autopsy findings in 167 cases. Circulation. 1961; 23: 861-880.
References
- Kurland GS. Louis Wolff: 1898-1972. Profiles in Cardiology. Clin. Cardiol. 1989;12, 301-302
- Obituary. Dr. Louis Wolff, Professor And Noted Heart Specialist. NY Times Jan 30 1972
- Obituary. Louis Wolff. JAMA. 1972; 220(13):1753-1755
- Cadogan M. History of the Electrocardiogram. LITFL
