Eugene Hertoghe (1860-1928): Pioneer in endocrinology and the treatment of hypothyroidism.

Eugène Hertoghe (1860-1928), a Belgian internist and former vice-president of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium, made significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of chronic hypothyroidism. He provided a detailed clinical description of the condition, emphasizing its multisystemic manifestations and hereditary aspects. Hertoghe also documented the therapeutic use of thyroid extract, reporting its effectiveness in alleviating symptoms of hypothyroidism. Among his contributions, he described the "Hertoghe sign," a rare clinical feature characterized by the loss of the outer third of the eyebrows, commonly associated with myxoedema, as well as with cases of toxic poisoning, infections, and atopic dermatitis.