Pierre Marie

Pierre Marie (born September 9, 1853, died April 13. 1940) was a French neurologist, who began his medical career in 1878 as an assistant to the famous neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893) at the Salpêtrière and Bicêtre Hospitals in Paris.

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One of his earliest contributions was the description of a disorder of the pituitary gland known as acromegaly. His analysis of the disease was considered a pioneer contribution to a field of medicine later to be known as endocrinology. Marie is also credited as the first to describe pulmonary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, and rhizomelic spondylosis (inflammation of the spinal joints).

He is best known today for the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease; named with Charcot and Howard Henry Tooth (1856-1925). This disease is characterized by gradual progressive loss of muscle tissue in the legs, arms and feet. Today, it is regarded as the most common hereditary neurological disease.

The following are a few of the numerous eponymous diseases named after him:

• Marie's ataxia: an hereditary disease of the nervous system, with cerebellar ataxia.
• Marie-Foix-Alajouanine syndrome: cerebellar ataxia of the cerebellum in the elderly; usually due to alcohol abuse. Named along with neurologists Théophile Alajouanine (1890-1980) and Charles Foix (1882-1927).
• Marie's anarthria: inability to articulate words due to cerebral lesions.
• Marie–Strümpel Disease: also known as Ankylosing spondylitis; a severe arthritic spinal deformity. Named along with German neurologist Adolph Strümpell (1853-1925). The disease can also be referred to as Bekhterev Disease; named after Russian neurophysiologist Vladimir Bekhterev (1857-1927).
• Marie-Léri syndrome: hand deformity caused by osteolysis of the articular surfaces of the fingers. Named with neurologist André Léri (1875-1930).

References

• Who Named It?