PITYRIASIS-ROSEA-LIKE DERMATITIS FOLLOWING GOLD THERAPY

Abstract

Chrysotherapy has been employed with encouraging results in the constitutional treatment of arthritis, lupus erythematosus and various forms of tuberculosis for the past twenty-five or more years. However, the use of gold has been attended in many instances by accidents of varying degrees of severity. Dermatitis has been a frequent manifestation of toxicity. Recent observation of 2 unusual cases in which there were eruptions similar to pityriasis rosea accompanied by lesions on the mucous membranes appearing during gold therapy has stimulated our interest in this subject. Gold was first used therapeutically in 1810 by Chrestien for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.¹Koch showed that the presence of gold was lethal to the tubercle bacillus in vitro in 1890. This apparently stimulated others to further investigation for suitable therapeutic forms of gold and their effect on various diseases. Bruck and Glück²were the first in recent years to attempt