Acrodermatitis Continua Suppurativa of Hallopeau: Who was Hallopeau ?

• 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