Main Entry: Beck·with–Wie·de·mann syndrome

Pronunciation: \ˈbek-wəth-ˈwēd-ə-mən-, -ˌman-\

Function: noun

: an inherited disease that is characterized by macroglossia, umbilical hernia, hypoglycemia, abnormal enlargement of the viscera, and increased risk of Wilms' tumor and rhabdomyosarcoma

Beckwith, John Bruce (born 1933), American pathologist. Beckwith held positions as professor of pathology and pediatrics at the University of Washington's Medical School and chairman of the department of pathology at Children's Hospital in Denver. His areas of research included sudden death during infancy and pathogenesis of tumors in children. He described the syndrome which now bears his name as well as Wiedemann's in an article published independently of Wiedemann in 1964.

Wie·de·mann \ˈvē-də-ˌmän\ , Hans Rudolf (born 1915), German pediatrician. In the course of his career Wiedemann served as director of children's clinics in Bonn, Krefeld, and Kiel and on the medical faculty at the universities of Bonn and Kiel. He published several articles on congenital malformations, including the first report on the effects of thalidomide, and on hereditary diseases of the skeleton and nervous system. In 1964 he published an independent description of the syndrome that now bears his name as well as Beckwith's.