List of eponymously named diseases

Eponymously Named Diseases are medical conditions that have been named after the person who first described the condition, or the person who first discovered the underlying cause of the disease. This practice is common in the field of medicine, and it has resulted in a long list of diseases that carry the names of their discoverers or describers.

Overview

Eponymously named diseases can be found in various branches of medicine, including neurology, cardiology, endocrinology, and gastroenterology, among others. These diseases are often complex and may involve multiple organ systems. The use of eponyms in disease naming has been a topic of debate within the medical community, with some arguing that it can lead to confusion and a lack of standardization.

Examples of Eponymously Named Diseases

Alzheimer's disease

Named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German psychiatrist and neurologist, Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects memory, thinking, and behavior.

Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease, named after Dr. James Parkinson, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the nervous system that mainly affects the motor system.

Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. It is named after Dr. Burrill B. Crohn, who first described the disease in 1932.

Graves' disease

Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. It was named after Sir Robert Graves, an Irish doctor who was one of the first to describe this form of hyperthyroidism.

See Also

• List of medical eponyms
• Medical terminology
• History of medicine