The uncinated crisis of George Gershwin.
George Gershwin, renowned composer and pianist, well known for his popular works, died on the 11th July 1937 due to a brain tumor. His neurological symptoms first appeared on that same year, in February, with a simple olfactory partial seizure, characterized by an unpleasant smell of burnt rubber (uncinated seizure). He later had a quick clinical descend, with severe headache that occurred in bouts, dizziness, coordination compromise and olfactory seizures, eventually lapsing into a coma on the 9th July 1937. It was then that a gliomatosus cyst was diagnosed, which on microscopic examination proved to be a "glioblastoma multiforme". Despite the surgical intervention, Gershwin died soon after the procedure without recovering his consciousness. We make a brief review of Gershwin's neurologic disease, with emphasis on the initial symptoms, namely the uncinated seizures.
Teive
Hélio A G
HA
Serviço de Neurologia, Departamento de Clínica Médica, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brasil. hagteive@mps.com.br
Germiniani
Francisco M B
FM
Cardoso
Alexander B
AB
de Paola
Luciano
L
Werneck
Lineu César
LC
D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000266:history*; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000209:etiology / Q000266:history*; D005197:Famous Persons; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000266:history*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009146:Music / Q000266:history*; D014481:United States