Erik Lindgren (1905–2005)

Erik Lindgren, an influential pioneer of neuroradiology, died December 21, 2005. Lindgren’s importance in the development of modern neuroradiology is recognized worldwide.

Lindgren was born in Uppsala, Sweden, and studied medicine at the Karolinska Insitute in Stockholm from 1924 through 1932. In 1934 he began his work at the Radiology Department of Seraphimer Hospital where he spent his entire professional life. At that time, Erik Lysholm, Professor of Radiology, led the department, and in his classic work The Ventriculogram,¹ he analyzed and described the characteristic pneumographic deformations caused by expanding lesions. He was regarded as the founder of the Seraphimer School of Neuroradiology. Lindgren was appointed Assistant Head of the department in 1939 and soon took over leadership of its clinical work. He presented groundbreaking work on carotid and vertebral angiography, gas myelography, and pneumoencephalography. In 1948, he published his thesis “A pneumographic study of the temporal horn.”²

When Lysholm died in 1947, Lindgren succeeded him and was nominated Professor of Roentgen Diagnostics with Neuroradiology at the Karolinska Institute in 1949. Under Lindgren’s guidance, Seraphimer Hospital became the “Mecca of Neuroradiology.” Lindgren helped further the precision of contemporary diagnostic methods and the development of modern neuroradiology. The growth that took place under his leadership resulted in the recognition of neuroradiology as a specialty and its dissemination throughout the world.

Lindgren was very meticulous, which resulted in his nickname “Petimeter” (French: petit-maître), shortened to “Peter.” He was a commanding leader and insisted that his pupils strive for the same carefulness and clarity of expression he demanded of himself. His attention to detail, combined with the precision that characterized routine examinations, resulted in the high standard of work in his department and established its reputation as one of the leading radiologic institutions in the world. The prestige of Seraphimer School of Neuroradiology attracted pupils from around the globe.

Lindgren’s pupils include a significant number of leading 20th-century neuroradiologists and 6 presidents of the Symposium Neuroradiologicum (SNR)—Ruggiero, Wickbom, Azambuja, Wende, di Chiro, and Greitz. James Bull, president of the London Symposium, also trained at the Seraphimer Hospital in 1955. Lindgren was president of the SNR in 1952 and made an unparalleled contribution to the field of radiology by virtue of his linguistic stringency and clarity as editor of Acta Radiologica from 1951 to 1982. During its prime, Acta Radiologica was a global publication, and along with its symposium supplements, was regarded by many readers as the “Bible of Neuroradiology.”

In recognition of Lindgren’s contribution to neuroradiology, several international societies—the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), the American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR), the European Society of Neuroradiology (ESNR), and the neuroradiological societies of Italy, Scandinavia, and Sweden, among others—have conferred honorary memberships on him. He was a founder and the first president of the Swedish Society of Neuroradiology, which was established in 1971.

Although Erik Lindgren never took part in the imaging revolution of the last 3 decades, it is easy to agree with the thoughts of Michael Huckman as expressed in a letter: “A great force in shaping modern neuroradiology has died.”

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