Acrodermatitis Enteropathica

In 1942 Danbolt and Closs 1 were the first to describe 2 children with diarrhea, periorificial dermatitis, alopecia, and apathy. Since then 65 cases have been reported, 3 of which were in adults. 2-4 Acrodermatitis enteropathica is a rare familial disorder with a recessive mode of transmission. Females are affected more often, and a history of familial occurrence is noted in 60% of the cases. Siblings but no parents have been affected, although consanguinity of the parents was noted in 5 cases. Because of the rarity of this disease our observations in a case and a review of the literature may be of interest to physicians caring for children with this problem. Report of a Case The patient, age 4 months, was admitted on Dec. 16, 1959, to Chelsea Naval Hospital because of recurrent dermatitis, diarrhea, and failure to thrive. The infant was well until 5 weeks of age when