Klaus Joachim Zülch: Neurochirurgie, Neurologie und die neuropathologischen Grundlagen

: Klaus Joachim Zulch (1910-1988) since 1959 head of a department of the german Max-Planck-Society, deeply influenced the neurological sciences in post-war Germany. The department with the name Abteilung fur allgemeine Neurologie (i.e. department of general neurology) constituted a section of the renowned Max-Planck-Institut fur Hirnforschung (i.e. institute for brain research) and found its place in Cologne. At the same time he was in charge of the local neurology unit of the municipal Cologne hospital, on the right Rhine riverside in Koln (Cologne) Merheim. In this double position he was able to focus his work as a neurologist on the major issues of this specialty, that at this time were not in the center of neurological interest: The connection of basic science i.e. morphology with important themes such as raised intracranial pressure, brain swelling and edema, brain and spinal chord circulation disturbances, head injuries and - in the first line - tumors of the central nervous system. This broad approach to essential issues in the field was probably due to his upbringing in german neurological tradition. His first contact with this specialty took place in Otfrid Foersters neurological clinic in Breslau, today in Poland, before World War II. Otfrid Foerster, a neurological encyclopedist, exerted a deep influence upon Klaus Joachim Zulch lifelong. Here he also came in contact with Percieval Bailey with whom he shared the obsession to classify brain tumors since then. This preoccupation became fruitful when he started collaboration with Wilhelm Tonnis 1936 at the time still in Wurzburg. The collaboration continued, when Tonnis moved to Berlin, during and after World War II up to 1959, when Klaus Joachim Zulch became head of the mentioned department of the german Max-Planck-society. At this time, important contributions already existed concerning brain injuries, brain edema and tumor classification. The couple Wilhelm Tonnis and Klaus Joachim Zulch may well be compared to the team formed by Harvey Cushing and Percieval Bailey. Their respective philosophies were equally identical, namely to classify tumors of the central nervous system through a pragmatic approach that would facilitate the communication between neuropathologist, neurosurgeon, neurologist and of course be ultimately as helpful as possible to the patient. Since 1959 Zulchs research turned to the topics of brain hypoxia, circulatory disturbances and stroke, notwithstanding that his interest remained with the other items, whenever new or old questions came up. The occupation with tumors became even once more intense when the WHO installed a reference center for brain tumor classification at his place in Cologne. In the new field of brain circulation, Klaus Joachim Zulch tried once again to bring basic science and clinical practise together and to draw the neurologists attention upon these frequent and important conditions, a development that gained increasing importance under the heading of "stroke unit" in our days. Klaus Joachim Zulch therefore may be regarded as neurologist ahead of his time trying to cover the epidemiologically important and frequent themes and establishing equal partnership with neurosurgery The connection with the scientific basis, i.e. morphology in different variations at the time under a common roof was crucial in his understanding of the work as neurologist.