William Henry Beierwaltes
William Henry Beierwaltes | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1917 |
| Died | August 14, 2005 |
| Occupation | physician |
| Known for | He was a pioneer in the use of nuclear medicine. |
William Henry Beierwaltes (c. 1917 – August 14, 2005) was an American physician who was a pioneer in the use of nuclear medicine. Beierwaltes building on the established work of Dr.Saul Hertz, developed innovations in the use of iodine-131 and in surgery in treating thyroid cancer, in establishing a university training program in nuclear medicine and in the use of radiolabeled antibodies to detect cancer.[1][2]
Early years and education
Beierwaltes grew up in
Career and research
Beierwaltes was one of five doctors present at the first course teaching doctors how to use radioactive
He was named in 1952 as head of the Clinical Radioisotope Service at the University of Michigan. Beierwaltes wrote Clinical Use of Radioisotopes, published in 1957, which was one of the first books published in the field. When it was established in the early 1960s, Beierwaltes was promoted to chief of the Nuclear Medicine Division and helped form the nuclear medicine fellowship at the University of Michigan, one of the first such programs in the United States.[3]
Results of a study Beierwaltes reported in 1950 showed that he was able to use x-rays to prevent blindness in eight of eleven patients with a form of the disease exophthalmos. The pituitary glands of these patients were believed to have been producing excessive amounts of thyroid-stimulating hormone which caused swelling in the eyesocket that could compress the optic nerve or ophthalmic artery leading to blindness. By x-raying the pituitary gland, the swelling was reduced. Three years after treatment patients had gained an average of 13 pounds and their eyes had receded an average of one-fifth of an inch.[4]
Beierwaltes retired from the University of Michigan at age 70 and moved to
Legacy
Beierwaltes developed the concept of combining radioactive iodine with the hormone-like Iobenguane, so that the radioactivity could be detected when the substance traveled to cells in the adrenal gland and related tissues. Beierwaltes is co-holder of the patent on Iobenguane, which he developed in the 1970s to allow for imaging of the adrenal gland.[3]
He was awarded the Scientific Achievement Award, the highest honor given by the American Medical Association, for his contributions to the medical profession as a clinician, teacher, and investigator.[1]
Personal life
Beierwaltes died at age 88 on August 14, 2005, in his home in Petoskey, Michigan, of natural causes.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e Staff. "IN MEMORIAM: William H. Beierwaltes, MD, 1916-2005", The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, October 2005. Accessed November 10, 2008.
- ^ "Saul Hertz MD 1905–1950". saulhertzmd.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f KEG. "William Beierwaltes, Nuclear Medicine Pioneer, Dies at 88", Medicine at Michigan, Fall 2005. Accessed November 10, 2008.
- ^ Staff. "NOTES ON SCIENCE; Atomic Radiation and the Human Race--X-Rays to Save Sight MONSTERS--", The New York Times, December 17, 1950. Accessed November 10, 2008.
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