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Dermatologic Trivia

»	What does the X in histiocytosis X mean?
»	The suffix -itis has come to mean inflammation. What is inflamed in “pruritis”?
»	What is the difference between pruritus and itch?
»	Several names are used for the disease caused by Bartonella bacilliformis: bartonellosis, verruga peruana, Peruvian warts, Oroya fever, and Carrión’s disease. Who was Carrión?
»	What other illnesses are caused by Bartonella species?
»	Sporotrichosis is also called “Schenck’s disease,” and the causative organism is named Sporothrix schenckii. Who was Schenck?
»	What is the difference between Klippel-Trénaunay-Weber syndrome and Klippel-Trénaunay-Parkes-Weber syndrome?
»	Which other eponymous dermatologic conditions include the name Weber?
»	What is ciguatera poisoning?
»	What are the neurocutaneous manifestations of ciguatera poisoning?
»	From what is cantharidin made?
»	What is Spanish fly?
»	Seriously now, cantharidin has been confirmed as an aphrodisiac. Who uses it and how does it work?
»	Who is generally considered the father of modern dermatology?
»	Name the eight orders in which Willan classified cutaneous disease.
»	What were Willan’s four subtypes of pustules?
»	What is a hunterian chancre?
»	Why does Jonathan Hunter’s name grace this ulcer?
»	Mucicarmine is a histologic stain used to detect mucin. From what natural source is mucicarmine obtained?
»	How does the Food and Drug Administration differentiate between an underarm deodorant and an underarm antiperspirant?
»	What is Compound 606?
»	Who was James Lind?
»	If citrus products prevent scurvy, why did the Royal Navy suffer from so many scurvy outbreaks a century after Lind?
»	Hansen’s disease (leprosy) is generally considered a tropical condition. Where was G.H. Armauer Hansen working when he discovered the causative bacillus of leprosy?
»	In the United States, most persons with newly diagnosed Hansen’s disease are immigrants from Southeast Asia, but in one region of the country, Hansen’s disease is endemic. Where is this region of endemic Hansen’s disease?
»	What seems to be the natural reservoir of Hansen’s disease in these states?
»	Has there ever been a “leper colony” in the United States?
»	Who was Father Damien?
»	Urology textbooks list about 50 causes of discolored urine. Several inherited metabolic disorders with cutaneous manifestations can cause discolored urine. If an infant’s diapers have a black discoloration, what genodermatosis should you include in your differential diagnosis?
»	If an infant’s diapers have a reddish discoloration, what genodermatosis should you include in your differential diagnosis?
»	What is the eponymic name for erythropoietic porphyria?
»	What is “North Carolina spotless fever”?
»	What is the carrier protein of a hapten called?
»	Do hair removal techniques (shaving, plucking, depilatories, waxing, electrolysis) cause new hair growth to be increasingly dark, coarse, or thick?
»	Fifth disease is the common childhood exanthem also known as erythema infectiosum and is caused by parvovirus B19. (Everyone knows that.) But what is fourth disease?
»	Onchocerciasis is found in both Africa and South America. Where did the disease originate, and how did it cross the Atlantic?
»	What skin disease does the sailor’s curse, “I’ll be jiggered” refer to?
»	Tungiasis (jiggers) was originally confined to the subtropical and tropical regions of the New World. How did it get to Africa, where it is now extensively entrenched in the sub-Sahara region?
»	The first written account of poison ivy appeared in 1609 in the journal of this famous settler of the New World. Who wrote this account?
»	What is the name of the dermatologist who invented adhesive tape?
»	How many keratinocytes (skin cells) do you shed per minute?

The first written account of poison ivy appeared in 1609 in the journal of this famous settler of the New World. Who wrote this account?

Poison ivy plant and its dermatitis were first described in Western literature by Captain John Smith of Princess Pocahontas fame. Captain Smith was the leader of the ill-fated mercantile colony at Jamestown, Virginia. His journal described this as “The poisonous weed, being in shape but little different from out English yvie; but being touched causeth redness, itchinge, and lastly blysters, the which howsoever, after a while they passe awaye of themselves without further harme. . . .” Modern dermatology textbooks can add little to his very accurate description!

Crissey JT, Parish LC, Holubar K: Historical atlas of dermatology and dermatologists. Boca Raton, FL, 2002, Parthenon Publishing Group.