Eponyms in cardiothoracic radiology: part III--interstitium.

Eponyms serve the purpose of honoring individuals who have made important observations and discoveries. As with other fields of medicine, eponyms are frequently encountered in radiology, particularly in chest radiology. However, inappropriate use of an eponym may lead to potentially dangerous miscommunication. Moreover, an eponym may honor the incorrect person or a person who falls into disrepute. Despite their limitations, eponyms are still widespread in the medical literature. Furthermore, in some circumstances, more than one individual may have contributed to the description or discovery of a particular anatomical structure or disease, whereas in others, an eponym may have been incorrectly applied initially and propagated for years in the medical literature. Nevertheless, radiologic eponyms are a means of honoring those who have made lasting contributions to the field of radiology, and familiarity with these eponyms is critical for proper reporting and accurate communication. In addition, the acquisition of some historical knowledge about those whose names are associated with various structures or pathologic conditions conveys a sense of humanity in the science of medicine. In this third installment of this series, the authors discuss a number of chest radiology eponyms as they relate to the pulmonary interstitium, including relevant clinical and imaging features, as well biographical information of the respective eponym's namesake.

Sjögren's syndrome: a forty-year scientific journey.

My long scientific journey studying as a disease model Sjogren's syndrome (SS) gave me the opportunity to uncover the mysteries of systemic autoimmune diseases. After an extensive training, under the supervision of the major autoimmune disease investigators, I was able to convey and expand the acquired knowledge through inspiring my students and collaborators. Our research enriches the understanding of the wide clinical spectrum of the syndrome and the clinical, laboratory and molecular events predicting or being responsible for lymphomagenesis. Our molecular and cellular studies indicated that the target of autoimmunity in SS, the activated glandular epithelial cells, play significant role in the initiation and perpetuation of the autoimmune process. Furthermore, discovery of the epitopes on autoantigens where the autoimmune humoral reactivity is directed against, provided us tools to develop specific and sensitive diagnostic assays, to unmask similarities of the epitope sequence with infectious agents and gave us the potential to use them as therapeutic modalities.

Marathon of eponyms: 19 Sjögren syndrome.

The use of eponyms has long been contentious, but many remain in common use, as discussed elsewhere (Editorial: Oral Diseases. 2009: 15; 185). The use of eponyms in diseases of the head and neck is found mainly in specialties dealing with medically compromised individuals (paediatric dentistry, special care dentistry, oral and maxillofacial medicine, oral and maxillofacial pathology, oral and maxillofacial radiology and oral and maxillofacial surgery) and particularly by hospital-centred practitioners. This series has selected some of the more recognized relevant eponymous conditions and presents them alphabetically. The information is based largely on data available from MEDLINE and a number of internet websites as noted below: the authors would welcome any corrections. This document summarizes data about Sjögren syndrome.

Haralampos M. Moutsopoulos: a lifetime in autoimmunity.

Three years ago, the Journal of Autoimmunity and Autoimmunity Reviews launched a series of special issues devoted to the contributions of outstanding scholars in autoimmunology. The special issues are devoted not only to recognize achievements, but also to include a series of dedicated papers that reflect the scholar's work, but also are cutting-edge research and reviews in immunology. This special issue is devoted to Haralampos M. Moutsopoulos of the National University of Athens. His contributions to patient care, teaching, and original research are legion. The papers that are included reflect not only a wide range of scholarship in autoimmunology, but importantly are written by his colleagues and friends, and by former students. They encompass original scholarship in Sjögren's syndrome, but also in a number of effector pathways in both adult and pediatric autoimmunology.

Advances in lupus and Sjögren's syndrome: a tribute to Josep Font.

Dr. Josep Font (Barcelona, 1953-2006) devoted his professional career to the care of patients with systemic autoimmune diseases (SAD). In 1995, he created the Department of Autoimmune Diseases at the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, a pioneering unit in Europe specifically dedicated to the clinical management of these patients. The research output of Dr. Font has been prodigious, with a total of over 500 scientific articles published in 25 years, and was especially focused on the clinical and immunological characterization of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). This review briefly analyzes some of the main contributions of Josep Font to our current knowledge about these diseases. In SLE, the research was centered on the epidemiological and clinical characterization, the study of cardiovascular and vasculitic involvements, and the investigation of the etiopathogenic role of the innate immunity. In primary SS, basic research conducted by Dr. Font contributed to a better understanding of the autoimmune etiopathogenesis of the disease, while the clinical research expanded our knowledge about the systemic and immunological expression of the disease and its frequent association with lymphoma, other SAD, and chronic viral infections.

Sjögren's syndrome.

Sjogren's syndrome (SS) describes xeropthalmia and xerostomia due to lymphocytic infiltrates of lacrimal and salivary glands. SS may occur alone (primary SS) or in association with several other autoimmune diseases (secondary SS). The clinical features involve a wide variety of organs, including skin, eyes, oral cavity and salivary glands, and systems, including nervous, musculoskeletal, genitourinary and vascular. Sicca symptoms can be found in a number of other disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, primary biliary cirrhosis, and other rheumatic disorders.