H16: Albert Sézary: the man behind the monster cells
P. Boesch1 and M. Hunjan2
1College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham and 2University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust, Birmingham, UK
Erythrodermie avec presence de cellules monstrueuses dans le derme et le sang circulant. Albert Sézary was a French dermatologist and venereologist born on 26 December 1880 in Algiers who continuously added to the medical field through papers or teaching up to his death in 1956. He was a man truly devoted to his work, research and family, marrying very late in life, only after his mother’s passing. Sézary’s dedication to the medical field encompassed contributions to the medical written work estimated to contain 830 works, spanning articles, chapters, communications and books. His first years in education were devoted to training in general medicine, focusing first on neurology followed by dermatology. He had a stellar career in hospitals where he quickly rose through the ranks and was appointed to positions such as head of department at Hôpital Broca and professeur agrégé of the faculty of medicine at the University of Paris in 1927. However, his medical knowledge and career did not only take place in the safety of hospitals and university halls, but also in both world wars, where he served his country in the medical corps, and was named Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 1917 after World War I. During World War II he specialized his medical efforts for the war and directed a dermatology clinic in Tours. This was not the first time Sézary realized his particular interest in the study of skin disorders. Early on in his career, he focused on inflammatory diseases of the adrenals, particularly in relation to skin disorders, with his main interest being syphilis. Sézary’s specific interest in syphilis saved many lives – not only through the introduction of the novel pentavalent arsenical treatment for neurosyphilis allowing these patients a return to normal life, but also through the diagnosis of many prisoners during World War II, preventing their deportation to Germany. Unlike the irregular and unique monster cells he discovered and coined, Sézary was a very proper individual who respected etiquette and a quiet life. The dermatologist who coined the term ‘monster cells’ was a hard-working and humble man, refusing to accept any commemorations at retirement and continuing to attend teaching sessions until his death. In light of Albert Sézary’s monstrous contribution to the medical field, especially dermatology, having light shone on his work at the British Association of Dermatologists’ symposium is a posthumous honour.
