Contemporaries

Antar Padilha-Gon~alves, MD

I was born on March 6, 1916, a Carnival Mondayin Rio de Janeiro. Carnival is an important paganfiesta for Brazilians, who go to the streets in mas­querade and fancy costumes to dance, to sing, andto have fun. It is a way for people to relax and forgetthe sadness of their lives. Maybe the sounds of Car­nival from the street impressed by newborn uncon­sciousness and made me a lover of popular songs anddances and built my uncompromising smile even indifficult occasions. That is why Marion Sulzbergerl

wrote: "Padilha-Gon9alves was short, quickin move­ments, animated, a 'good mixer,' outgoing in tem­perament, and constantly smiling" (page 192). Ienjoyed the way Marion saw me.

Why medicine? That is a question I have askedmyself many times without a convincing answer. Ido not believe in the importance of a "calling" in se­lection of a career. I think that most persons arepolyvalent and can be successful through dedicationand perseverance. Adam Smith said, "Do not con­fuse vocation with natural talent." This emphasizesmy point of view.

My mother was a distinguished schoolmistresswho reached the top ofher profession. My father wasan industrialist. My home environment was happyand relaxed. Among our family friends were somedistinguished professors and naturalists from theworld-famous School of Tropical Medicine of theOswaldo Cruz Institute. Certainly this social ambi­ence influenced my medical inclinations. Anotherpossible influence was the deep distress that sickpersons caused me and my desire to relieve their ill­nesses.

At the age of 15, in a contest with about 500 ap­plicants, I obtained fourth place and entered theFaculdade de Medicina of the Universidade doBrasil (Rio de Janeiro). Six years later, at age 21, Igraduated. During medical school my interest indermatology was stimulated because many tropicalpathology subjects were taught. It seemed to me thatdermatology was a good field to explore because of

Reprint requests: Antar Padilha-Gon«alves, Emeritus Proressor (re­tired) of Dermatology, Universidade do Rio de Janeiro, CentroMedico Sorocaba, Clinica Dermatol6gica, Rua Sorocaba 464 Gr.308,22271 Rio DeJaneiro, Brasil.

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Antar Padilha-Gonyalves

the great number of skin diseases, more than in anyother speciality, and the challenge of the unknownabout skin disease. Challenges have always been agreat motivator for me. I also became aware that tobe a specialist it is necessary to know general med­icine so I practiced internal mediCine for 5 years withattention to other fields, particularly laboratory andgeneral pathology. During this training period, myinterest in dermatology was not lost and dermato­logic problems were always of primary interest. Af­ter training, I joined the Dermatology Departmentof the Escola de Medicina e Cirurgia of the Univer­sidade do Rio de Janeiro whose Chairman, J. Ramose Silva, was my principal dermatology teacher and,in time, a close friend.

My initiation to dermatology was French in ori­gin. My first book was Darier's Precis de Dermatol­ogie. The eight-volume Nouvelle Pratique Derma­tologique was bought and read even before gradu­ation. Old book dealers were frequently visited. Inmy library can be found old classics by Fournier,Brocq, Ricord, Sezary, Gougerot, Sabouraud, Ba­zin, Hebra, Erlich, Levaditi, Metchnikoff, Du­breuilh, Laveran, and Richet. Soon I discoveredAmerican dermatology.I subscribed to the Archivesof Dermatology and Syphilology just after mygraduation and Andrew's Diseases of the Skin be­came my desk book. The Journal of InvestigativeDermatology has been subscribed to since the firstissue and, more recently, this JOURNAL.

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312 Padilha-Gonqalves

All steps of a university career were climbed, in1972, after a public contest, the position of TitularProfessor and Chairman of Dermatology of theUniversidade of Rio de Janeiro was reached and oc­cupied until my retirement was required by law in1986. In the university I also held several adminis­trative positions, including dean of the School ofMedicine. Petropolis, a city near Rio de Janeiro, wasa convenient location for another medical school;with some professors and other interested personsthe Faculty of Medicine of Petropolis was founded.For some time the position of Chairman of Derma­tology was my responsibility.

Besides my university obligations, many lecturesand conferences were given in Brazilian and foreigninstitutions in South, Central, and North Americaand in Europe. In commemoration ofmy retirementfrom official university life, the Anais Brasileiros deDermatologia published a special issue with manyworks on dermatology written by friends and somepapers about my personality.2-6

Retirement from the University did not mean anend to dermatology. I still continue working in myprivate clinic and 2 days a week my mornings arespent in the University Hospital examining skincases from patients with acquired immunodefi­ciency syndrome (AIDS) and discussing histopa­thology.

I believe that scientific communication is the bestway to progress. This led me, early in my medicallife; to frequent medical meetings, to join medicalsocieties, and to travel both in my country or abroadto look for new advances and to improve ny knowl­edge. As a consequence, I became an active or hon­orary member of 21 national and 42 internationalmedical or scientific societies. Probably my mostimportant membership is the 152-year-old Aca­demia N acional de Medicina of Brazil, which ad­mits only 100 members.

In 1967, during the International Congress ofDermatology in Munich, I was elected a member ofthe International Committee ofDermatology (ICD)along with Alejandro Cordero, Otto Braun-Falco,and Rudolf L. Baer. All four of us believed that theICD was in need of modernization and that weshould assume this responsibility. The next 5 yearsreinforced our belief. In 1972 the leader of ourgroup, R. L. Baer, was elected president ofthe ICD.His administration was difficult because of manyinfluential personalities in the dermatology world,particularly the basic researchers, who believed that

Journal of theAmerican Academy of

Dermatology

the International Congresses were failing in theirchief purpose. Rudy Baer worked hard to avoid thisand we helped him as much as we could. The per­formances of Hugh Wallace among the British der­matologists and of John Strauss and Alan Shalitaamong the investigative group were decisive. In ameeting of this group with ICD members in Am­sterdam in 1975, we agreed that the InternationalCongress should continue to be held with a new andmodern direction. The next Congress in Mexico wasa great success. The seed was planted and thefollowing Tokyo and Berlin Congresses were equallyproductive.

Let me return to my associative activities. Soonafter graduation I became a member of the So­ciedade Bradileira de Dermatologia and occupied alladministrative positions, including the presidency in1957 and 1958. I still work as a Life Member of thePlanning Council and as a member of the Congressand International Committees of the Society.

From 1947 to 1962 I was Director of the AnaisBrasileiros de Dermatologia e Sifilografia, the offi­cial publication of the Sociedade Brasileira de Der­matologia. During this period this journal wasincluded in the Index Medicus. In 1966 I was one ofthe founders ofM edicina Cutanea, later on changedto Medicina Cutanea Ibero-Latino-Americana.

Early in my career, after my application was en­dorsed by Pardo-Castello, George C. Andrews, andMaurice Costello, the American Academy of Der­matology accepted me as a nonresident fellow, andas years passed I became a life member. Somewhatlater, with the same sponsors, the American Der­matological Association elected me as an honorarymember.

Latin American, especially Mexican and CentralAmerican, dermatology has also been an area ofconstant interest. I was honored to serve as presidentof the Colegio Ibero-Latino-Americano de Derma­tologia from 1967 to 1972. Because ofmy interest intropical medicine, in 1989 I was elected HonoraryPresident of the International Society of Dermatol­ogy. Currently, I am president of the SociedadeBrasileira de Dermatopathologia, recently foundedby Sevastiao Sampaio, R. D. Azulay, Tancredo A.Furtado, and myself.

To be up to date with progress in my areas of in­terest, to attend medical meetings and make per­sonal visits to hear and seen new advances and toexchange ideas have been important in my life. Thesmall price paid by me for learning so much from my

Volume 24Number 2, Part 1February 1991

colleagues has been my communications at medicalmeetings and my publications-an extremely cheappricebecausemuch less was given than received. Mylong life and my frequent presence at meetings ex­plain myl120 communications and the publicationsof 262 papers. Most deal with clinical observationsand clinical research because my dreams ofbeing aninvestigator in basic dermatology was frustrated bya deficiency of equipment throughout my career.

My favorite subjects have been aspects of tropicaldermatology and mycology in general and, in par­ticular, paracoccidioidomycosis, sporotrichosis,treponematoses (especially pinta), leishmaniasis,and fixed drug eruptions. My interest in tropicaldermatology received important support from mybeloved friends J. Walter Wilson and OrlandoCafiizares. Among the original studies are subclin­ical adenopathy in paracoccidioidomycosis, adenop­athy ofparacoccidioidomycosis, kidney involvementin paracoccidioidomycosis, pulmonary lesions ofparacoccidioidomycosis, classification of paracoc­cidioidomycosis, immunology of paracoccidioido­mycosis, cheilitis glandularis simplex in paracoccid­ioidomycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis as a systemicinfection, interpretation and evaluation of sporotri­chin test, the concept of sporotrichosis infection, im­munology of sporotrichosis, spontaneous cure ofsporotrichosis, experimental pinta, epidemiology ofpinta, uncommon localizations of pityriasis versi­color, polarity of leishmaniasis, natural history ofleishmaniasis, regression of leishmaniasis with ba­cillus calmette-Guerin, granulomatous dermato­phyte infection, isolation of dermatophytes from thesoil, friction test in fixed drug eruption, and cutane­ous manifestations of AIDS.

Traumatic anserine folliculosis,7 miliaria solaris,8dermatitis verrucosa e1astotica solaris,9 and connec­tive tissue panniculitis10 are new cutaneous disordersdescribed by me (the last with R. K. Winkelmann).

My particular interests at present are the study oflichenoid reactions, the definition of solar lentigo,and the possibility that basal cell carcinoma canoriginate from solar lentigo.11

It is said that man does not live by bread alone; itis also good to have some wine. I like all aspects oflife-nature, social events, literature, music, arts,and sports.

Antar Padilha-Gonr;alves 313

I have always enjoyed sports both as a performerand as an observer. In my youth, soccer was my forteand I played on the juvenile soccer team of Flamen­go, the most popular sporting club in Brazil. I triedpractically all sports and athletic activities. Earlyafter graduation, I developed a course in sportsmedicine for the Brazilian Army. After that I wasnominated to be a Professor in the Physical Educa­tion Faculty ofthe Rio de Janeiro University. How­ever, the appointment was never made.

I enjoy fishing very much. In my thirties, skindiving arrived in Brazil and this remains my hobbytoday. In those early days I was even invited to writemy experiences for a newspaper. I was BrazilianSpearfishing Champion in 1957.

I have no complaints. Life has been good to me.If I should begin again, the same paths would befollowed.

Antar Padilha-Gonr;alvesRio de Janeiro, Brazil

REFERENCES

1. Sulzberger M, My companions on the International Com­mittee of Dermatology. J AM ACAD DERMATOL 1982;6:179-94.

2. Azulay RD. Jubileu do Antar Padilha-Gon~alves.AnaisBrasil DermatoI1987;62(suppl1):224-S.

3. Baer RL. Antar Padilha-Gon~alves. Anais Brasil Derma­tol 1987;62(suppll):226.

4. Dominguez Soto. Ao Professor Antar Padilha-Gon9alvesem seu jubileu professional. Anais Brasil Dermatol1987;62(suppll):227.

5. Solano E, Motero-Gei F. Os dermat61ogos brasileiros e adermatologia centro-americana. An Brasil Dermatol1987;62(suppl1):228-9.

6. Magana Lozano M. Professor Antar Padilha-Gon9a1ves ea Academia Mexicana de Dermatologia. An Brasil Der­matol 1987;62(suppl 1):230-l.

7. Padilha-Gon~alves A. Traumatic anserine folliculosis. JDermatol 1979;6:365-9.

8. Padilha-Gon~alves A. Miliaria solaris. Abstracts of theXVI Congressus Internationalis Dermatologiae, Tokyo,Japan, May 23-28, 1982, pg. 231-2.

9. Padilha-Gon~alves A, Cotta-Pereira G, Carvalho JJ, et al.Dermatitis verrucosa elastotica solaris [Abstract]. ArchDermatoI1984;120:1613.

10. Winkelman RK, Padilha-Gon~alvesA. Connnective tissuepanniculitis. Arch Dermatol 1980;116:291-4.

11. Padilha-Gon~alves A, Basilio de Oliveira CA. Basal cellcarcinoma arising from solar lentigo. J Cutan Pathol1989;16:319.