Page:Archives of dermatology, vol 6.djvu/255

 CASE OF ICHTHYOSIS HYSTRIX CONGENITA. 243

A CASE OF ICHTHYOSIS HYSTRIX CONGENITA.

BY F. C. CURTIS, M.D., ALBANY, N. Y.

THE common and typical forms of disease exist in ordinary experience and are described in the text-books. The function of a journal is, largely, to make a record of cases which are more or less departures from what is matter of common knowledge, and so provide an accumulation from which suggestions may be drawn of cases analogous possibly to such as may be met with. That por- tion of the medical profession who take a special interest in derma- tological affections are very fortunate in the possession of a journal such as the Archives is, for filling such a purpose, among its other interesting features that are a part of it.

The following case presents peculiarities of sufficient interest to entitle it to a report, and make it at least of passing interest. I have not heretofore encountered a lesion similar to it in character and surroundings. It came under my observation about the first of May, being a patient of Dr. T. M. Trego, of this city.

The subject is a male child, about a week old when first seen, of fair size, physically well developed and perfectly vigorous and healthy. Without going into details, it may be said that it has no abnormality as far as can be discovered except the cutaneous lesion to be described. There are two other children in the family, both girls, several years old. They are likewise healthy.

As to the family history, on the father's side there has been rheu- matism, to which the father himself is subject, in the subacute form. The mother is phthisically inclined, with recently some increase in the cough and wasting. She is still, however, in fair health.

The appearance of the eruption may be described as follows. It is composed of papules or papulo-tubercles, half the size of a split pea, of a circular outline and flat, having but slight elevation. The color is uniformly brownish, without variation. They are grouj^ed, hardly any solitary papules existing. The grouping is various in form and irregular, the margins of groups being, however, generally well defined. The surface is very slightly scaly, which is most appreciable to the touch, the scales being adherent, giving a rough feel, and there being no desquamation. A group has a rather hard, rough feel, and the thickening is not such but that the altered skin can be readily picked up between the fingers. The tissues are not deeply involved. The lesion is confined solely to one side of the body, existing only on the left lateral half. It is mostly confined to the leg and arm, spreading on the pectoral region of the body, but there scattered and not so well developed. To take it up more in local and geographical detail, the knee may be taken as a starting-point, as being the place of its fullest development. Covering the anterior and inner surface of this re- gion is a patch about two-thirds the size of the adult palm, of