Carl Friedrich Otto Westphal

Carl Friedrich Otto Westphal

Birth date	1833-03-23
Birth place	Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia
Died	27 January 1890(1890-01-27) (aged 56)
Place of death	Berlin, German Empire
Nationality	German
Known for	Westphal's sign, Westphal-Piltz syndrome

Carl Friedrich Otto Westphal (23 March 1833 – 27 January 1890) was a renowned German psychiatrist and neurologist. He is best known for his work on Westphal's sign and the Westphal-Piltz syndrome.

Early Life and Education

Westphal was born in Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia. He studied medicine at the Humboldt University of Berlin, where he developed an interest in the fields of psychiatry and neurology.

Career

Westphal made significant contributions to the understanding of neurological disorders. He is particularly noted for his description of Westphal's sign, a clinical sign associated with knee jerk reflex abnormalities. Additionally, he described the Westphal-Piltz syndrome, a condition related to progressive familial heart block.

Contributions to Psychiatry

In the field of psychiatry, Westphal was a pioneer in the study of agoraphobia, a term he coined to describe the fear of open spaces. His work laid the foundation for future research into anxiety disorders.

Legacy

Westphal's contributions to medicine have had a lasting impact, particularly in the areas of neurology and psychiatry. His work continues to be referenced in modern medical literature.

See Also

• Westphal's sign
• Westphal-Piltz syndrome
• Agoraphobia

External Links

• Carl Friedrich Otto Westphal at Who Named It?

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