Welcome to the Martin Zeitz Center for Rare Diseases

In Europe a rare disease is defined as one that affects less than 5 in 10,000 people. In Germany, about four million people are living with a rare disease, including an estimated two million children and adolescents. In short, not really that rare!

The Martin Zeitz Center for Rare Diseases at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf was set up in the fall of 2013 with the aim of researching the causes, as well as improvements in the diagnosis, treatment and care of affected patients. Medical training and the education of practitioners are also at the core of our efforts to conquer rare diseases.

Generally, rare diseases present an extremely complex set of symptoms, which makes a prompt identification of causes and diagnosis difficult. Diagnosis is problematic because few doctors will have encountered the disease during their medical practice. It often takes several years before a correct final diagnosis is made. Specialist knowledge and experience are necessary in the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases. The Martin Zeitz Center for Rare Diseases has therefore formed a Center of Excellence bundling special clinical and scientific expertise in the field of rare diseases or rare groups of diseases.

If you have been diagnosed with a rare disease, please contact the Center of Excellence directly.

If your particular disease does not appear in the Center of Excellence list or you have not had a definitive diagnosis, please contact us!