Wilma Canada

Biography

• Born Wilma Canada on 21 January 1926 in Hardy, Kentucky
• 1946 – BS in Medical Technology, University of Kentucky and became a registered medical technologist with the American Society of Clinical Pathology
• 1950 – Graduated medicine from Duke University School of Medicine
• 1951-1954 – Completed residencies in Pathology and Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (Chief Resident, 1954) and married medical illustrator Jack Diner
• 1955 – Co-author with internal medicine physician Leonard Wolsey Cronkhite (1919-1996) of the first report of the Cronkhite-Canada syndrome
• 1956 – Radiology Department, University of Arkansas Medical Sciences (UAMS)
• 1971 – Professor of Radiology, UAMS
• 1974-1989 Director of the radiology residency program, UAMS
• 1988 – Marie Curie award for outstanding contribution to the advancement of women in radiology by the American Association for Women Radiologists
• 1997 – Retired from medical practice
• 1998 – Established the Diner Family Endowment for radiology resident education at UAMS
• President of the Board of Directors at the Congregation B’nai Israel; and educator of Israeli students in English as a second language in Little Rock, Arkansas
• 2011 – Inducted to the UAMS Society of the Double Helix
• Died 5 January 2017

Medical Eponyms

Cronkhite–Canada syndrome (1955)

Rare, acquired, ideopathic, sporadic, non-inherited disorder syndrome characterised by gastrointestinal polyps (most frequently in the stomach and large intestine, followed by the small intestine, typically avoiding the oseophagus) and dermatological symptoms including skin pigmentation, alopecia, and fingernail changes. A general deficiency state.

Eponymous term attribution by Orimo at al 1969:

A patient with diffuse gastrointestinal polyposis, abnormal skin pigmentation, loss of hair and nails, and hypoproteinemia is described. Data on nine other patients with this syndrome described in the literature are reviewed and possible mechanisms responsible for hypoproteinemia and the changes of ectodermal structures are discussed. This syndrome differs from the Peutz-Jeghers syndrome and from familial polyposis of the colon and should be called the “Cronkhite-Canada syndrome,” derived from the names of those who first described it.

Orimo et al 1969

It has a number of other names, including Cronkhite–Canada polyposis, allergic granulomatous angiitis of Cronkhite–Canada, gastrointestinal multiple polyposis syndrome, and gastrointestinal polyposis and ectodermal changes. Unknown pathophysiology. Also known to be at high risk of thromboembolic disease.

There is no specific test to diagnose this condition. Diagnosis is based on symptoms and features of the disease.

• Cronkhite LW Jr, Canada WJ. Generalized gastrointestinal polyposis; an unusual syndrome of polyposis, pigmentation, alopecia and onychotrophia. N Engl J Med. 1955; 252(24): 1011-1015.
• Orimo H, Fujita T, Yoshikawa M, Takemoto T, Matsuo Y, Nakao K. Gastrointestinal polyposis with protein-losing enteropathy, abnormal skin pigmentation and loss of hair and nails (Cronkhite-Canada syndrome). Am J Med. 1969;47(3):445-449.

Major Publications

• Canada WJ, Goodale F Jr, Currens JH. Defect of the interatrial septum, with thrombosis of the pulmonary artery; report of three cases. N Engl J Med. 1953;248(8):309-316
• Cronkhite LW Jr, Canada WJ. Generalized gastrointestinal polyposis; an unusual syndrome of polyposis, pigmentation, alopecia and onychotrophia. N Engl J Med. 1955; 252(24): 1011-1015.
• Canada WJ. Use of Urokon (sodium-3-acetylamino-2,4,6-triiodobenzoate) in roentgen study of the gastrointestinal tract. Radiology. 1955;64(6):867-873.
• Diner WC, Kniker WT, Heiner DC. Roentgenologic manifestations in the lungs in milk allergy. Radiology. 1961;77:564-572.
• Diner WC. The Cronkhite-Canada syndrome. Radiology. 1972;105(3):715-716.

References

• Bader E, Shipman AR. The women behind the names: Dermatology eponyms named after women. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2015;1(3):157-160.
• Wu B, Oakley A. Cronkhite–Canada syndrome. DermNet 2016
• Wilma Jeanne Canada Diner, MD. Arkansas Democrat Gazette. 2017
• Angtuaco TL, Angtuaco EJ. Wilma C. Diner, MD. Radiology. 2017; 283(1): 310