INFANTILE LICHENOID ACRODERMATITIS

To The Editor  The symmetric papular eruption of the arms and legs reported by Winkelmann and Bourlond (Arch Derm92:398-401 [Oct] 1965) which they characterize as "infantile lichenoid acrodermatitis" is strongly suggestive of the condition described by Rubin, Dunlap and myself in this journal ("A New Papular Erythema of Childhood" Arch Derm85:539-540 [April] 1962). The age of the patients, the erythematovesicular-papular character of the eruption, the distribution, the histologic features, the lack of systemic reaction, and the relatively short course are all consistent with what we described as a "new papular erythema of childhood." The photographs are excellent, and clearly show the morphologic characteristics of the eruption to be those of our cases.That the condition was unrecognized by the many dermatologists to whom Winkelmann showed his photographs and slides is not remarkable. I was myself unaware of Gianotti's description of this condition in the Italian literature