FREDERIC CHOPIN (1810-1849), AND HIS DISEASE
Federico Chopin (1810-1849) y su enfermedad
Author
Young, Pablo; Hospital Británico,Argentina
Bernaciak, Jorge M.
Bruetman, Julio E.
Finn, Bárbara C.
Miranda, Marcelo C
Abstract
Frédéric Chopin – a great Polish composer and pianist – suffered from a chronic disease. Both during his life and after his death, physicians disagreed on Chopin’s diagnosis. His contemporaries accepted the diagnosis of tuberculosis, a common disease in the 18th century. Description of new clinical entities provoked new dilemmas in the 21th century. Although other alternative diagnoses to tuberculosis have emerged, such as cystic fibrosis or alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, we still sustain that the first diagnosis is the most probable. In this paper we report F. Chopin’s case history and discuss cons and pros for different diseases as the cause of F. Chopin’s suffering and death. Frédéric Chopin – a great Polish composer and pianist – suffered from a chronic disease. Both during his life and after his death physicians disagreed on the subject of Chopin’s diagnosis. His contemporaries accepted the diagnosis of a common disease in the 18th century – tuberculosis. Description of new clinical entities provoked new dilemmas in the 21th century. Although other alternative diagnosis to tuberculosis have emerged, like cystic fibrosis or alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, we still sustain that the first diagnosis is the most probable. In this paper we present F. Chopin’s case history and discuss cons and pros for different diseases as the cause of F. Chopin’s suffering and death.