- A dictionary of medical eponyms

Christmas disease

Related people

A form of haemophilia caused by deficiency of Christmas’ factor. It is a disturbance of coagulation that may easily be confused with classical heamophilia, with which it is clinically almost identical. The condition was described in 1952 by Biggs, Douglas, Macfarlane et al. at Oxford. It has not been named for Santa Claus, but for Stephen Christmas, a five year old British boy who was the first patient in whom this was recognized to be different from classical haemophilia. Incidence: 1/40,000 (15-20% of haemophilias). The condition is transmitted as a sex-linked recessive trait through female carriers. Prevalent in males.

We thank John Cohen for information submitted.

Bibliography

  • R. A. Biggs, A. S. Douglas, R. G. MacFarlane, J. V. Dacie, W. R. Pittney, C. Merskey and J. R. O’Brien:
    Christmas disease: a condition previously mistaken for haemophilia.
    British Medical Journal, London, 1952, 2: 1378-1382.

What is an eponym?

An eponym is a word derived from the name of a person, whether real or fictional. A medical eponym is thus any word related to medicine, whose name is derived from a person.

What is Whonamedit?

Whonamedit.com is a biographical dictionary of medical eponyms. It is our ambition to present a complete survey of all medical phenomena named for a person, with a biography of that person.

Disclaimer:

Whonamedit? does not give medical advice.
This survey of medical eponyms and the persons behind them is meant as a general interest site only. No information found here must under any circumstances be used for medical purposes, diagnostically, therapeutically or otherwise. If you, or anybody close to you, is affected, or believe to be affected, by any condition mentioned here: see a doctor.