Wilhelm Löffler

Biography

• Born 28 June 1887 Basel, Switzerland
• 1911 – M.D. degree, Universities of Geneva, Basel and Vienna
• 1912 – Institut für Pathologie (Institute for Pathology), Universitätsspitals Basel (University Hospital Basel)
• 1913 – Physiological-Chemical Institute, University of Strasbourg
• 1913-1921 – University Hospital Basel
• 1917 – Completed the habilitation in internal medicine
• 1921-37 – Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of Medizinischen Poliklinik (medical polyclinic), University of Zurich
• 1936-38 – Dean of Medical Faculty, University of Zurich
• 1937-57 – Professor of Internal Medicine and Head of Medical Clinic, University of Zurich
• 1957-71 – Appointed Honorary Professor, University of Zurich
• Died 25 November 1972 Basel, Switzerland

Medical Eponyms

Löffler syndrome (1932)

Marked eosinophilia with benign, transient and migratory pulmonary infiltrates. [Note: Kartagener disease (1942) – chronic form of eosinophilic pulmonary infiltration]

In 1932, Löffler described four cases of transient (lasting 3-8 days) pulmonary infiltrates on chest X-ray, little to no symptoms, and normal white cell counts, but blood eosinophilia in two of the cases. He discovered these infiltrates while performing mass X-ray surveillance of tuberculosis patients in Zürich at the time.

In 1936, Löffler published 51 additional cases of the syndrome he had observed

Löffler Endocarditis (1936)

Form of restrictive cardiomyopathy which affects the endocardium and occurs with proliferation of Eosinophils. Löffler first described diffuse mural endocarditis (endocarditis parietalis fibroplastica) with eosinophilia, associated with congestive cardiac failure

Key Medical Attributions

• Discovery of transient pulmonary migratory infiltrates with eosinophilia, and diffuse mural endocarditis with eosinophil proliferation
• One of the first to introduce and use exogenous insulin in Switzerland
• First to present the use of X-ray surveillance for population screening in tuberculosis for the prevention and control of the disease

Controversies

In 1955, Löffler notably diagnosed German novelist and Nobel laureate Thomas Mann incorrectly with thrombophlebitis. Mann was 80 years old at the time, and developed a swollen and painful left leg during his vacation in Holland. The diagnosis of ‘thrombophlebitis’ was made by Mülders (Leiden) and confirmed by Wilhelm Löffler (Zürich). However, the pathological diagnosis on autopsy, by Professor Hedinger, was a rupture of the left iliac artery aneurysm with extensive retroperitoneal haematoma, compression and thrombosis of the left iliac vein.

Major Publications

• Löffler W. Zur Differential-Diagnose der Lungenifiltrierungen. II. Über flüchtige Succedan-Infiltrate (mit Eosinophilie). Beiträge zur Klinik der Tuberkulose. 1932;79(3-4):368–382. [Löffler syndrome]
• Löffler W. Endocarditis parietalis fibroplastica mit Bluteosinophilie. Ein eigenartiges Krankheitsbild. Schweizerische medizinische Wochenschrift 1936;66:817–820. [Löffler endocarditis]
• Löffler W. Zur Differential-Diagnose der Lungenifiltrierungen. I. Frühfiltrate unter besonerer Berücksichtigung der Rückbildungszeiten. Beiträge zur Klinik der Tuberkulose. 1932;79(3-4):338–367.
• Löffler W. Zur Differential-Diagnose der Lungeninfiltrierungen. III. Über Differential-Diagnose der Sekundärinfiltrierungen. Beiträge zur Klinik der Tuberkulose. 1932;79(5):566–576.
• Löffler W. Flüchtige Lungeninfiltrate mit Eosinophilie. Klinische Wochenschrift. 1935;14(9):297–299
• Löffler W. Über Porphyrinurie mit akuter aufsteigender Paralyse. Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift (Correspondenz-Blatt für Schweizer Aerzte) 1919;49:1871-1878.

References

Biography

• Frick P. Professor Wilhelm Löffler. In: Annual Report of the University of Zurich. 1972/73:107.

Eponymous terms

• Jenning RC, Pengelly CDR. Endocarditis parietalis fibroplastica (Löffler’s disease). Postgrad Med J. 1968 Mar; 44(509): 251–254
• Carter R. The mask of Thomas Mann (1875-1955): medical insights and last illness. Ann Thorac Surg. 1998 Feb;65(2):578-85
• Bollinger A. Thomas Manns Tod: Folge einer angiologischen Fehldiagnose? [The death of Thomas Mann: consequence of erroneous angiologic diagnosis?]. Wien Med Wochenschr. 1999;149(2-4):30-2.