Caroline Renate Pickardt (5 September 1936 – 21 April 2024) was a German

endocrinologist Endocrinology (from ''endocrine'' + '' -ology'') is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones. It is also concerned with the integration of developmental events ...

. The main focus of her scientific work was in the area of

thyroid The thyroid, or thyroid gland, is an endocrine gland in vertebrates. In humans, it is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the neck below the Adam's apple. It consists of two connected lobes. The lower two thirds of the lobes are connected by ...

diseases (thyroidology). She published fundamental articles on functional thyroid disorders and the

pathophysiology Pathophysiology (or physiopathology) is a branch of study, at the intersection of pathology and physiology, concerning disordered physiological processes that cause, result from, or are otherwise associated with a disease or injury. Pathology is ...

goitre A goitre (British English), or goiter (American English), is a swelling in the neck resulting from an enlarged thyroid gland. A goitre can be associated with a thyroid that is not functioning properly. Worldwide, over 90% of goitre cases are ...

Biography

Pickardt was born on 5 September 1936. After receiving her

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

in 1965 at the

University of Munich The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich, LMU or LMU Munich; ) is a public university, public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Originally established as the University of Ingolstadt in 1472 by Duke ...

with a dissertation titled "Veränderungen des Sekretintestes bei subaciden, cholecystektomierten und pankreaskranken Patienten" (Changes of the secretin test in subacid patients after cholecystectomy and with pancreatic diseases) she

habilitated Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and some other European and non-English-speaking countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellen ...

in 1972 at the

Ludwig-Maximilian University The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich, LMU or LMU Munich; ) is a public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Originally established as the University of Ingolstadt in 1472 by Duke Ludwig IX of Bav ...

with a treatise titled "Stimulation der TSH-Sekretion durch TRH (Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone): diagnostische Bedeutung und pathophysiologische Folgerungen" (Stimulation of thyrotropin secretion by TRH (thyrotropin releasing hormone): diagnostic utility and pathophysiological consequences). On 18 January 1973, she was appointed

Privatdozent ''Privatdozent'' (for men) or ''Privatdozentin'' (for women), abbreviated PD, P.D. or Priv.-Doz., is an academic title conferred at some European universities, especially in German-speaking countries, to someone who holds certain formal qualifi ...

, in 1979 Professor. During her scientific life Pickard managed a number of scientific conferences and published more than 80 papers and several books on thyroid disorders and endocrine ophthalmopathy. Together with Rudolf Fahlbusch she described a form of tertiary hypothyroidism in pituitary stalk transection syndrome ( Pickardt-Fahlbusch syndrome). From 2001 she was an

emeritus professor ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

. Pickardt died on 21 April 2024, at the age of 87.Caroline Renate Pickardt

Selected publications

* C. R. Pickardt, W. Geiger, R. Fahlbusch und P. C. Scriba. Stimulation der TSH-Sekretion durch TRF-Belastung bei hypothalamischen und hypophysären Krankheitsbildern. Klin. Wschr. (1972) 50, 42–59 * Johannes Köbberling, Caroline R. Pickardt (Hrsg.). Struma. Springer Berlin Heidelberg 1990. * Reinhard Ziegler, Caroline R. Pickardt, Rolf-Peter Willig. Rationelle Diagnostik in der Endokrinologie. Georg-Thieme-Verlag Stuttgart 1993.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pickardt, Renate 1936 births 2024 deaths People from Plettenberg German endocrinologists Women endocrinologists 20th-century German women scientists Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich alumni