Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans historical perspective

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Anahita Deylamsalehi, M.D.[2] Raviteja Guddeti, M.B.B.S. [3]

Overview

In 1883, acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans was described for the first time by a German physician named Alfred Buchwald. In 1902 two physicians, called Herxheimer and Hartmann, described the condition as a “tissue paper” like cutaneous atrophy and the current name was suggested. They described the biphasic manner of this disease by demonstrating both inflammatory and atrophic phases of it. In 1950s the possibility of human to human transmission was discussed.For the first time in 1984, borrelia was discovered as the responsible etiology of acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans.

In 1883, acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans was described for the first time by a German physician named Alfred Buchwald.
In 1895, Pick reported the inflammatory phase as a new disease and he named it eythromelie.^[1]
In 1902, two physicians, called Herxheimer and Hartmann, described the condition as a “tissue paper” like cutaneous atrophy and the current name was suggested..^[1]
In 1946, penicillin has been recommended as an effective treatment.
The possibility of human to human transmission was first discovered in 1950s.
For the first time in 1984, borrelia was discovered as the responsible etiology of acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans. Before that conditions such as elastin weakness, trophic disturbances or vascular diseases were believed to be the etiologies of acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans. ^[2]^[1]
First case of acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans in North America was reported in 1895.^[3]