Josef Kyrle was an Austrian pathologist and dermatologist who was a native of Schärding

Schärding

Schärding is a town in northern Upper Austria, Austria, capital of the district of the same name, and a major port on the Inn River. As of 2001, it has a population of 5,052. Historically it was owned by the Wittelsbach family, which reflects on the town's architecture...

.

He studied medicine at the University of Graz

University of Graz

The University of Graz , a university located in Graz, Austria, is the second-largest and second-oldest university in Austria....

, and afterwards was an assistant to Anton Weichselbaum

Anton Weichselbaum

Anton Weichselbaum was an Austrian pathologist and bacteriologist who was a native of Schiltern....

 (1845-1920) at the clinic of pathological anatomy at the University of Vienna

University of Vienna

The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...

. In 1907 he was an assistant to Ernst Finger

Ernst Finger

Ernst Anton Franz Finger was an Austrian dermatologist born in Prague. He was a leading authority regarding venereal disease....

 (1856-1939) at the dermatology clinic in Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

, and in 1918 he attained the title of professor extraordinarius.

Kyrle specialized in microscopic and histological

Histology

Histology is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of plants and animals. It is performed by examining cells and tissues commonly by sectioning and staining; followed by examination under a light microscope or electron microscope...

 research of skin disorders. His name is associated with Kyrle disease

Kyrle disease

Kyrle disease was first described in J. Kyrle in 1916, characterized by numerous up to cherry-sized hyperkeratotic, verrucous, clefted papules and nodules involving almost the entire skin.-See also:* Josef Kyrle* Cutaneous perforating disorders...

, which is also known as "hyperkeratosis

Hyperkeratosis

Hyperkeratosis is thickening of the stratum corneum, often associated with a qualitative abnormality of the keratin, and also usually accompanied by an increase also in the granular layer...

 penetrans". In 1916 Kyrle referred to this condition as hyperkeratosis follicularis et parafollicularis in cutem penetrans, and it is characterized by keratotic

Keratosis

Keratosis is a growth of keratin on the skin. More specifically, it can refer to:* actinic keratosis * hydrocarbon keratosis* keratosis pilaris , also known as * seborrheic keratosis-See also:...

 plugs that develop in hair follicle

Hair follicle

A hair follicle is a skin organ that produces hair. Hair production occurs in phases, including a growth phase , and cessation phase , and a rest phase . Stem cells are principally responsible for the production of hair....

s and eccrine ducts

Merocrine

Merocrine is a term used to classify exocrine glands and their secretions in the study of histology. A cell is classified as merocrine if the secretions of that cell are excreted via exocytosis from secretory cells into an epithelial-walled duct or ducts and thence onto a bodily surface or into the...

, penetrating the epidermis and extending into the dermis

Dermis

The dermis is a layer of skin between the epidermis and subcutaneous tissues, and is composed of two layers, the papillary and reticular dermis...

. This disorder is often associated with diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced...

 and renal failure.

He also performed investigations concerning the use of Jauregg's

Julius Wagner-Jauregg

Julius Wagner-Jauregg was an Austrian physician, Nobel Laureate, and Nazi supporter.-Early life:...

 malaria

Malaria

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...

 therapy for treatment of syphilis

Syphilis

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...

 in its early stages, and with Dr. Weichselbaum performed important studies involving the origin and development of the islets of Langerhans

Islets of Langerhans

The islets of Langerhans are the regions of the pancreas that contain its endocrine cells. Discovered in 1869 by German pathological anatomist Paul Langerhans at the age of 22, the islets of Langerhans constitute approximately 1 to 2% of the mass of the pancreas...

in the fetus.