Piebaldism: rare but all dermatologists have heard this strange term during residency
- Also known as dermatitis repens, acrodermatitis continua suppurativa is a acral pustular psoriasis considered as an uncommon type of pustular psoriasis.
- It was described by the French dermatologist Dr François Henri Hallopeau (1842-1919) described this condition in 1890 and named it then: Polydactylitis Continua Suppurativa (French: “polydactylie suppurative et continue”).
- Thereafter three particular forms were characterized: vesiculous, suppurative and dry forms. Nowadays, this nosology now appears as being useless.
- Dr Hallopeau first worked on study of the spinal cord, but when he was admitted at the Parisian Hôpital Saint-Louis (the world famous dermatology centre), his interest got naturally geared towards dermatology.
- He described numerous entities such as dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, acanthosis nigricans…but nowadays it is acrodermatitis continue suppurativa which is associated with his name.
Contributors
Dr Christophe Hsu – dermatologist. Geneva, Switzerland
Source of information:
-Crissey JT el al. Dermatology and Dermatologists (2002). Parthenon Publishing
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