Łucja Frey

Łucja Frey in 1919

Łucja Frey or Łucja Frey-Gottesman (November 3, 1889 in Lwów – 1942?) was a Polish physician and neurologist, known for describing the syndrome later named after her. Łucja Frey was one of the first female academic neurologists in Europe. She perished during the Holocaust in 1942 in Lwów ghetto aged 53.

Life

Łucja Frey was born on November 3, 1889 in Lwów, then part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, as the daughter of the building contractor Szymon Symcha Frey and his wife, Dina (née Weinreb) [1] Frey and her family were Jewish.[2] She attended a Christian elementary school between 1896 and 1900. She graduated from Franciszek-Józef secondary school as an extern pupil in 1907. After graduation she studied mathematics and philosophy under professor Marian Smoluchowski (1872-1917). She was a student of the faculty of philosophy from 1907 to 1912, but after five years she moved to Warsaw and began studying medicine.

Frey studied medicine from 1918 to 1923 and received her medical diploma on June 2, 1923. Her studies were interrupted for one year because of the Polish–Ukrainian War.[1]

After graduation she continued her work as a senior assistant to professor Kazimierz Orzechowski (1878–1942) in his Warsaw neurological clinic.[2][3] At the end of 1928 she left Warsaw to go back to Lwów, and married a lawyer named Mordechai (Marek) Gottesman (1887 in Komarno – 1941?).[1] From May 1929 she was working at the neurological clinic in Lwów on Rappaporta Street as a deputy senior consultant. She gave birth to her daughter, Danuta, in 1930.[1]

After the Soviet invasion of Poland on September 19, 1939 and the subsequent occupation of Lwów, Mark Gottesman was accused of counter-revolutionary activities and was arrested by the NKVD; nothing is known about him after this point. In 1941, under the German occupation of Lwów, Łucja Frey was resettled to the ghetto and forced to work in Ghettopoliklinik in Zamarstynowska 112. She was probably murdered together with her patients during liquidation of the ghetto in August 1942 or shortly after deportation to Belzec extermination camp. No evidence exists, that she, or any of her relatives, survived.[1][2][4]

There are many uncertainties about her life. According to Yad Vashem testimony of Hedwa Balat, Frey's sister-in-law, Łucja and Marek had a son named Jakub, born in 1919. However, no other sources support this thesis and Frey's biographer finds it very unlikely.[1]

Recognition

Until 2004, only short biographic articles about Łucja Frey's life existed: in Polish,[2][5][6] Swedish,[7] and English.[4][8][9][10] These publications repeated fragmentary and scarce facts from Eufemiusz Herman's classic monograph about Polish neurologists.[3] New facts about her tragic life were published in Mirjam Moltrecht's biography.[1] However, Frey's name is often omitted or misspelled (as "Lucy"[11][12] or "Lucie"[13][14]) in many textbooks and dictionaries. Dates of birth and death of Austrian physician and physiologist Maximilian Ruppert Franz von Frey (1852-1932) were sometimes mistakenly given as hers.[13][14]

Works

Diagram of innervation of parotid gland used in Łucja Frey's description of "her" syndrome

Frey's publication about auriculotemporal nerve syndrome, now widely known as "Frey's syndrome" ("zespół Łucji Frey" in Polish), was published in 1923, first in Polish journal "Polska Gazeta Lekarska", and later that year in renowned French journal "Revue Neurologique".[15] It was not the very first description of this constellation of symptoms.[16][17] Frey's predecessors were Kastremsky (1740), Duphenix (1757),[18] Barthez (1806),[19] Dupuy (1816),[20] Brown-Sequard (1849),[21][22] Baillarger (1853), Henle (1855),[23] Berard (1855),[24] Bergounhioux (1859),[25] Rouyer (1859),[26] Botkin (1875),[27] Parkes Weber (1897),[28] New and Bozer (1922)[29] and Lipsztat (1922).[30] Interestingly, both Brown-Sequard and Henle reported their own symptoms.[17] All these observations lack a wide view of the anatomy, pathology and exact mechanism of gustatory sweating. Łucja Frey's article "Przypadek zespołu nerwu usznoskroniowego" ("Le Syndrome du Nerf Auriculo-Temporal") is considered to be the first such description of the phenomenon. Frey was first to recognize this syndrome as a disorder of both sympathetic and parasympathetic innervations.[4]

The eponym "Frey syndrome" was introduced to medical literature by Henryk Higier in 1926[31] and in 1932 by Bassoe.[32] In recognition of earlier descriptions of this syndrome, it is also sometimes called Baillarger's syndrome, Frey-Baillarger syndrome or Dupuy syndrome.[33]

Besides this important work, Frey published papers on the effects of vegetable poisons on spinal cord degeneration,[34] brain stem topography,[35][36] amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,[37][38] Charcot joints, aneurysms of the plexus of the medulla,[39][40] cysts of brain ventricles,[41] clivus tumors,[42] frontal lobe tumors and retrosplenial tumors.[43][44]

Bibliography

Full list of Łucja Frey's works (she is the sole author unless otherwise noted):[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Mirjam Moltrecht: Dr. med. Lucja Frey. Eine Ärztin aus Lwow 1889-1942. Rekonstruktion eines Lebens. Hartung Gorre Verlag Konstanz, 2004. PDF
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Gliński JB. Słownik biograficzny lekarzy i farmaceutów ofiar drugiej wojny światowej. Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Medyczne Urban & Partner, 1997
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Eufemiusz Herman: Neurolodzy polscy. Warszawa: Państwowy Zakład Wydawnictw Lekarskich, 1958, ss. 225-227.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Maciejewska I, Dziewiatkowski J, Spodnik E. Lucja Frey: a pioneering physician in tragic times. Clin Anat. 20. 6: 588-90 (2007). doi:10.1002/ca.20481. PMID 17352411.
  5. ↑ Bennett JD, Pietruski J. Łucja Frey (1889-1943). W 70 rocznicę ogłoszenia zespołu uszno-skroniowego i 50 rocznicę śmierci. Otolaryngologia Polska. 47. 4: 378-382 (1993). PMID 8255594
  6. ↑ Herman E. Wspomnienia pośmiertne. Neurologia Polska 24, 27-28 (1950)
  7. ↑ Erkki Hakulinen: Känd för sin beskrivning av en gustatoriskt utløst svettning i ansiktet. Läkartidningen 4: 211-212 (1992).
  8. ↑ Bennett JD. The woman behind the syndrome: Frey's syndrome--the untold story. Journal of the history of the neurosciences. 2 (3): 139–44 (1994). PMID 11618815
  9. ↑ Burton MJ, Brochwicz-Lewinski M. Lucja Frey and the auriculotemporal nerve syndrome. J R Soc Med. 84. 10: 619-20 (1992). PMID 1744848 PDF
  10. ↑ O'Neill JP, Condron C, Curran A, Walsh A. Lucja Frey--historical relevance and syndrome review. The surgeon : journal of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Edinburgh and Ireland. 3 (6): 178–81 (2008). PMID 18581755
  11. ↑ Parviz Janfaza, Joseph B. Nadol, Robert Galla, Richard L Fabian, William W. Montgomery: Surgical Anatomy of the Head and Neck. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001 p. 418 ISBN 0-683-06302-2
  12. ↑ D. S. Grewal, Bachi T Hathiram: Atlas of Facial Nerve Surgery. McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing, 2007 ISBN 0-07-148576-7
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Susan L. Bartolucci, Thomas Lathrop Stedman: Stedman's Medical Eponyms. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2005 p.899 ISBN 0-7817-5443-7
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Roche Lexikon Medizin. Elsevier,Urban&FischerVerlag, 2003 p.646 ISBN 3-437-15150-9
  15. ↑ Frey Ł. Le syndrome du nerf auriculo-temporal. Revue Neurologique 2, 2, 97-104 (1923). The same in Polish: Przypadek zespołu nerwu usznoskroniowego. Polska Gazeta Lekarska 41, 708-710 (1923)
  16. ↑ Dulguerov P, Marchal F, Gysin C. Frey Syndrome Before Frey: The Correct History. Laryngoscope 109:1471–1474 (1999) PMID 10499057
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Dunbar EM, Singer TW, Singer K, Knight H, Lanska D, Okun MS. Understanding gustatory sweating. What have we learned from Lucja Frey and her predecessors?. Clinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society. 3 (12): 179–84 (czerwiec 2002). PMID 12269550
  18. ↑ Duphenix M . Observations sur les fistules du canal salivaire de Stenson. I. Sur une playe compliq la joue ou le canal salivaire fut déchireé. Mémoires de l’Académie royale de chrirugie III:431–439 (1857)
  19. ↑ Barthez (1806) Nouveaux Éléments de la Science de L’ hommo, Paris, vol II
  20. ↑ Dupuy LE (1816) Sur l’enévement des ganglions gutturaux des nerfs trisplanchniques sur des chevau. Journal de médecine, chirurgie, pharmacie, Paris 37:340–350 As cited in Dunbar et al. (2002)
  21. ↑ Brown-Séquard CE: Production de sueur sous l’influence d’une excitation vive des nerfs du goût. Compte Rendu Société de Biologie 1:104 (1850) As cited in Dunbar et al. (2002)
  22. ↑ Brown-Séquard CE: Remarques sur la précédente note. Compte Rendu Société de Biologie 1:449–450 (1850) As cited in Dunbar et al. (2002)
  23. ↑ Henle J: Handbuch der rationnellen Pathologie, 3rd ed, vol. 1, p. 236 (1855) As cited in Dunbar et al. (2002)
  24. ↑ Bérard PH. Cours de physiologie, fait à la Faculté de médecine de Paris, vol 4 (1855) As cited in Dunbar et al. (2002)
  25. ↑ Bergounhioux: La Gazette de Hôspitaux, Paris (1859) As cited in Dunbar et al. (2002)
  26. ↑ Rouyer J. Sur l’éphidrose parotidienne. Journal de la physiologie de l’homme et des animaux: 447 (1859)
  27. ↑ Botkin S. Über die Reflexerscheinungen im Gebiete der Hautgefässe und über den reflectorischen Schweiss. Berliner Klinische Wochenschrift 7:81–83 (1857) As cited in Dunbar et al. (2002)
  28. ↑ Weber FP. Clinical cases V: a case of localized sweating. Transactions: Clinical Society of London 31: 277–280 (1897) As cited in Dunbar et al. (2002)
  29. ↑ New GB, Bozer HE. Hyperhydrosis of the check associated with the parotid region. Minnesota Medicine, vol. 5 (1922) As cited in Dunbar et al. (2002)
  30. ↑ Lipsztat J. Przypadek umiejscowionego pocenia się podczas jedzenia. Neurologia Polska 6 (1922) As cited in Frey (1923)
  31. ↑ Higier S. Das auriculo-temporale syndrom und seine pathogenese. Z Ges Neur Psych 1926;106:114–119.
  32. ↑ Bassoe PN. The auriculotemporal syndrome and other vasomotor disturbances about the head. Med North Am 1932; 16:405–412.
  33. ↑ Frey's syndrome at Who Named It?
  34. ↑ Frey Ł. O działaniu jadów wegetatywnych na drżenie włókienkowe w sprawach zanikowych pochodzenia rdzeniowego. Księga Pamiątkowa XII Zjazdu Lek Przyr 2, 158 (1925-1926) As cited in Moltrecht (2004)
  35. ↑ Frey Ł. Przyczynki do nauki o topografii w trzonie mózgowym. Ogniska boczne i środkowe w rdzeniu przedłużonym. Neurologia Polska 8, 2, 124-142 (1925) As cited in Moltrecht (2004)
  36. ↑ Frey Ł. Przyczynki do nauki o topografii w trzonie mózgowym. Ogniska w wyższych piętrach mostu Varola. Polska Gazeta Lekarska 15, 335-338 (1925) As cited in Moltrecht (2004)
  37. ↑ Frey Ł, Orzechowski K. Zmiany anatomiczne w chorobie Charcota. Neurologia Polska 8, 3-4, 196-219 (1925) As cited in Moltrecht (2004)
  38. ↑ Frey Ł, Orzechowski K. Zmiany anatomiczne w chorobie Charcota. Księga Pamiątkowa XII Zjazdu Lek Przyr 2, 145 (1925-1926) As cited in Moltrecht (2004)
  39. ↑ Frey Ł. Przypadek tętniaka splotowatego rdzenia. Neurologia Polska 9, 1-2, 21-30 (1926) As cited in Moltrecht (2004)
  40. ↑ Frey Ł. Rdzeń i preparaty drobnowidzowe z przypadku tętniaka splotowatego rdzenia. Polska Gazeta Lekarska 22, 431 (1927) As cited in Moltrecht (2004)
  41. ↑ Frey Ł. Pokaz mózgu z torbielą III komory. Warszawskie Czasopismo Lekarskie 14, 192 (1926) As cited in Moltrecht (2004)
  42. ↑ Frey Ł. Przypadek chorego z guzem stoku Blumenbacha. Polska Gazeta Lekarska 14, 328 (1925) As cited in Moltrecht (2004)
  43. ↑ Frey Ł. Przypadek guza retrosplejalnego. Neurologia Polska 11, 3-4, 319-320 (1928) As cited in Moltrecht (2004)
  44. ↑ Frey Ł. Przypadek guza retrosplejalnego. Polska Gazeta Lekarska 14, 261 (1928) As cited in Moltrecht (2004)

External links

See also: Frey and Gottesman