Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome

Wa·ter·house–Frid·er·ich·sen syndrome

noun
\ˈwȯt-ər-ˌhau̇s-ˈfrid-(ə-)rik-sən-\

Definition of WATERHOUSE-FRIDERICHSEN SYNDROME

: acute and severe meningococcemia with hemorrhage into the adrenal glands

Biographical Note for WATERHOUSE-FRIDERICHSEN SYNDROME

Waterhouse, Rupert (1873–1958), British physician, and Friderichsen, Carl (1886–1979), Danish physician. Waterhouse described in 1911 a syndrome of acute collapse associated with hemorrhages in the adrenal glands, usually observed in severe cases of meningitis caused by the meningococcus. Friderichsen published his own independent description of the syndrome in 1918.