Carl Max Wilhelm Wilms (German pronunciation:[maksˈvɪlms]; 5 November 1867 – 14 May 1918) was a Germanpathologist andsurgeon who was a native of Hünshoven, which today is part of the townGeilenkirchen.

In 1890, he earned his medical doctorate from theUniversity of Bonn, and afterwards was an assistant to pathologistEugen Bostroem (1850–1928) inGiessen and tointernistOtto Michael Ludwig Leichtenstern (1845–1900) inCologne. In 1899, he began training as a surgeon atLeipzig. In 1907, he became a professor of surgery atBasel. In 1910, he attained the chair of surgery at theUniversity of Heidelberg.

In May 1918, while performing emergency surgery on a French POW who had a swollenlarynx associated withdiphtheria, Wilms became infected with the disease, and died within a few days at the age of 50.

Reportedly, he was successful in saving the life of the French soldier. After his death, his position atHeidelberg was filled by surgeonEugen Enderlen (1863–1940).

Wilms is remembered for his work in the field ofnephrology, and his pathological studies concerning the development oftumor cells. In his research ofrenal tumors, he proposed that tumor cells originate during the development of theembryo. He published his findings in an influential 1899monograph, titledDie Mischgeschwülste der Niere.

As a result of his extensive work involving renal tumors, another name for "nephroblastoma" isWilms' tumor, a malignant tumor of thekidney.

Wilms made several contributions as a surgeon and is credited for introducing a partial ribresection used in the treatment forpulmonary tuberculosis.^[1] He introducedperinealprostatectomy via lateral incision.^[2]

Wilms also worked extensively in the field ofradiology, usingradiation therapy for treatment of tumors and tuberculosis. Wilms is credited for developing amanometer for measurement ofcerebrospinal fluid pressure.^[3]

With surgeonLudwig Wullstein (1864–1930), he co-authored and publishedLehrbuch der Chirurgie, a surgical textbook that was translated into several languages.

• Max Wilms @Who Named It
• [1] Max Wilms and “Die Mischgeschwülste der Niere”