ATOPIC DERMATITIS (DISSEMINATED NEURODERMATITIS) OF YOUNG ADULTS

Abstract

The exact classification of certain dermatoses the chief feature of which is pruritus with lichenification has long been a subject of dispute. Fifty years ago, Vidal¹discussed the lichens and prurigos, and under the term "lichen simplex chronicus" he distinguished a peculiar chronic condition of certain types of young persons (spare types) who suffered from irregularly recurring episodes of paroxysmal pruritus followed by thickening of the skin, lichenification, excoriated papules and other manifestations involving circumscribed zones or widely disseminated over the body in characteristic locations. He mentioned the tendency for the condition to become worse during the fall and winter and the association or alternation with asthma in certain cases, and he spoke of a constitutional background consisting of an unstable nervous temperament, which was present in most cases. The treatment he advised, in addition to topical remedies, included the use of sedatives, restriction of diet with regard to