Lotte Strauss

Lotte Strauss commenced her medical studies in Germany and completed them in Siena, Italy, in 1937. Se came to USA in 1938, first working in microbiology at the Beth Israel Hospital in New York. However, she changed her direction to pathology and was trained by Sydney Farber (1903-1973), a well known paediatric pathologist in Boston who is remembered for Farber's disease, or disseminated lipogranulomatosis.

In 1941 she came to The Mount Sinai Hospital, where Paul Klemperer was Pathologist-in-Chief. He was a major influence on her life and encouraged her to concentrate on paediatric pathology. Lotte Strauss is generally regarded as the founder of the specialty. In a sense, however, Klemperer was the founder since he provided her with the milieu in which to become expert in the field. In 1953 a paediatric pathology service was established specially for her at The Mount Sinai Hospital.

Lotte Strauss was one of the pioneers in paediatric and perinatal pathology and one of the founders of the Society for Pediatric Pathology. Her particular field of interest was the ultra structure of the placenta in different foetal disease conditions, as well as intrauterine infections, and vascular diseases. She published almost 100 scientific articles and introduced a large number of young pathologists to the discipline.

She was a warm and exceedingly thoughtful person, a meticulous pathologist, and a gifted and inspiring teacher.

From 1966 until her death in 1985 Lotte Strauss held the title of Professor at The Mount Sinai Hospital.

We thank Stephen A. Geller, M. D. for submitting information. Geller is Chairman, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles.

• E. J. Wormer:
  Jacob Churg, Lotte Strauss. Angiologie – Phlebologie.
  Syndrome und ihre Schöpfer. München: Medikon Verlag, 1991: 23-25.