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Jean-Athanase Sicard

Jean-Athanase Sicard (June 23, 1872 - January 28, 1929) was a French neurologist and radiologist who was born in Marseille. He studied medicine in Marseille and Paris, and during his career he was associated with Hôpital Necker. As a student, he studied neurology under Edouard Brissaud (1852-1909) and serodiagnostics in regards to immunology with Georges-Fernand Widal (1862-1929).

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With Jacques Forestier (1890-1978), he introduced lipiodol (radio-opaque iodized oil) for use in radiological investigations. Lipiodol was injected into a patients' cerebrospinal fluid for myelographic diagnosis and localization of intraspinal cysts and tumors. Sicard is also credited for introducing injections of sodium salicylate for treatment of varicose veins.

Sicard was a pioneer involving his research of pneumoencephalography. He also did extensive work with diseases such as encephalitis lethargica, syphilis and trigeminal neuralgia.

Along with Frédéric Justin Collet, Sicard is credited with identifying Collet-Sicard syndrome, in which neck trauma such as a Jefferson fracture causes damage to the cranial nerves.

Written Works

Le liquide céphalo-rachidien. Paris, 1902.
La névralgie faciale essentielle et son traitement par les injections locales neurologiques. Paris, 1911.
Méthode radiographique d’exploration de la cavité épidurale par la lipiodol; Written with Jacques Forestier (1890-1978). Revue neurologique, Paris, 1921, 28: 1264-1266. Lipide (iodised oil) first used in radiology. Positive contrast myelography with iodised oil (lipiodol).
Traitement des varices par les injections phlébo-sclérosantes du salicylate de soude. Written with J. Paraf and J. Lermoyez. Gazette des hôpitaux, Paris, 1922, 95: 1573-1575.
L’exploration radiologique des cavités broncho-pulmonaires par les injections intra-trachéales d’huile iodée. With Jacques Forestier. J méd Franç, 1924, 13: 3-9.
Le traitement des varices par la méthode sclérosante. With L. Gaugier. Paris, 1927; 3rd edition, 1931.