Primary tuberculous infection of the skin, as contrasted with the reinfection types of external cutaneous tuberculosis, has received considerable attention in recent years. Much earlier knowledge of this type of cutaneous lesion resulted from recognition of the similarity of such infection to the Ghon tubercle in the lung. The pioneer work of Parrot,1 Kuess,2 Ghon3 and others resulted in the establishment, on an anatomic basis, of the character of the lesion produced by first infection tuberculosis. As originally described, the lesion consisted of a primary focus at the site of inoculation plus an always present regional lymphadenitis. To this combination of primary focus and regional lymphadenitis Ranke4 gave the name "primary complex of tuberculosis," a term rather generally used today when it is desired to designate a primary infection in any part of the body. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS To be sure, the majority of infections of the