Hermann Wilbrand

Hermann Wilbrand (1851-1935) was a German ophthalmologist whose father and grandfather were also physicians. In 1875 he earned his doctorate at the University of Strassburg, and afterwards was an assistant to Ludwig Laqueur (1839-1909) at Strassburg and Carl Friedrich Richard Förster (1825-1902) at Breslau. Later he moved to Hamburg where he became head of the Department of Ophthalmology at Allgemeines Hospital in 1905.

Wilbrand specialized in the field of neuro-ophthalmology and did extensive research concerning the pathology and physiology of the eye. He demonstrated that homonymous hemianopsia was caused by lesions in the occipital lobe and optic radiation as well as the optic tract.

Associated eponyms

* "Wilbrand's knee": A group of extramacular ganglion cell axons that extend forward into the posterior optic nerve.
* "Charcot-Wilbrand syndrome": Syndrome involving visual agnosia and the inability to re-visualize images. Condition due to occlusion of the posterior cerebral artery of the dominant hemisphere. Named with French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893).

References

* [http://www.mrcophth.com/ophthalmologyhalloffame/wilbrand.html Ophthalmology Hall of Fame; Hermann Wilbrand]