Wegener"(TM)s granulomatosis

A past linked to the present

Abstract

Objectives: make a biographical compilation of the first ones who described the WG and establish in a detailed way the main facts that marked the evolution of the WG to the present time.

Material and methods: a systematic review of literature from 1866 to 2007 through Pubmed, Embase, Ovid, Sciencedirect, SpringerLink, Blackwell Synergy, Highwire and searches in the library of the National University of Colombia

Results: There were 4588 articles found related to WG, from which we selected in English and German language, with emphasis in medical historical revisions, relevant clinical tests, controlled randomizeds studies and revisions in general, with interest for the main medical associations and also to the consideration of the authors of this review. Being left in the end a conglomerate of 89. The bibliographic data of the first describers are attached mainly to german literature, many of this information was lost in the German and Polish scrutinies.

Conclusions: the descriptions of literature as far as the recognition of WG are focused in the northern Europe, its description was associated to those of other vaculitis and allowed to reinforce immunological knowledge which is basic in the present. We observed how the clinic, the treatment and later de paraclinic studies were extended every day, and how many concepts created more than 40 years ago are still part of actual regimes.