title: The origin of Woltman's sign of myxoedema.
abstract: Woltman's sign of myxoedema, named after Henry Woltman in 1956, is the delayed relaxation phase of the muscle stretch reflex in patients with myxoedema. Although a change in these reflexes was mentioned as being clinically evident possibly as early as the 1870s, no formal description was published until 1924 when William Calvert Chaney objectively quantified the change. Woltman was involved in training Chaney, and it has been proposed that he guided Chaney's study of these reflexes. Despite the attachment of Woltman's name to the eponym, little evidence exists that directly links him to the first objective study of the muscle stretch reflex in myxoedema performed by Chaney.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Burkholder
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Klaas
authors.forename: Neeraj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Boes
mesh_terms: D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D009230:Myxedema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000266:history* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000266:history* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012021:Reflex, Abnormal / Q000502:physiology; D014481:United States
keywords: Abnormal reflex; Eponyms; History; Myxoedema; Neurology