Poikiloderma Atrophicans Vasculare

At a meeting of the New York Dermatological Society, May 25, 1920, attended by all but one of the members, I presented a patient for the diagnosis of a curious and complex dermatosis, with which I was unfamiliar.The eruption consisted of telangiectases, petechiae, pigmentation, atrophy and ulceration.No similar case has been seen by any of the dermatologists present, but Dr. Fred Wise suggested the diagnosis of poikiloderma atrophicans vasculare and compared the appearance of the lesions of the patient with the cuts of the first case reported under that name by Jacobi.This diagnosis was confirmed by the study of previously reported cases of that dermatosis, of which twelve have been found, nine in the German, two in the French, and one in the Russian literature.The reported cases vary to a considerable extent in many details, but the predominant characteristics common to all are: redness, caused by dilatation of the minute superficial vessels of the skin, reticulated pigmentation and more or less diffuse atrophy.The extreme rarity of the disease, and the fact that there is nothing on the subject in English, are perhaps sufficient reasons for reviewing the literature and abstracting the previously reported cases.It was impossible to make a complete study of my case because of the patient's refusal to submit to a biopsy, but through the courtesy of Doctor Ormsby I am permitted to include the case report of one of his patients from whom he was able to obtain material for a histologic examination. REPORT OF CASESCase 1 (Reported by Petges and Cléjat1 in 1906).-Thiscase was described under the name of atrophie sclerosis of the skin, and was associated with generalized myositis and tuberculosis of the lungs.