José Ramón Ricoy, neuropathologist

Type of article: ARCHIVE IMAGE

AUTHOR

M. Balcells
Department of Neurology. Hospital Universitari del Sagrat Cor, Barcelona, Spain.

ABSTRACT

José Ramón Ricoy, who studied under Ludo van Bogaert at the Bunge Institute in Antwerp, is a very influential professor who has trained specialists in general anatomical pathology and neuropathology throughout his professional career.

He has published more than 130 scientific papers in both national and international journals. Stellar contributions include his 1974 doctoral thesis on orthochromatic (or sudanophilic) leukodystrophies. They also include his studies of other leukodystrophies, Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease, mitochondrial behaviour in myopathies, and CSF and serum studies in patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Additional examples are his histochemical and ultrastructural studies of striated muscle fibres in Prader-Willi syndrome, the case series of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis or Batten disease, and his clinical and neuropathological examination of progressive myoclonus epilepsy of Unverricht-Lundborg. I should also mention his contribution to the study of toxic oil syndrome, a neurological disease of great social concern that struck Spain in 1981.

This article also presents the anatomical pathology collection which the doctor recently donated to the SEN's historical archive. This collection consists of 56 histological slides illustrating various nervous system diseases. It is particularly interesting from a didactic point of view since it showcases rare diseases and an excellent slide preparation technique. Key examples are the slides presenting Huntington disease, tuberous sclerosis, and Binswanger disease because their image quality is especially sharp.

KEYWORDS

José Ramón Ricoy, neuropathology, Huntington disease, tuberous sclerosis, Bourneville disease, Binswanger disease

Neurosciences and History 2014;2(2):79-83