Who described Civatte bodies?

Eosinophilic apoptotic (necrotic) keratinocytes in the lower epidermis and at the dermoepidermal junction are a feature of many interface dermatoses but are most reliably found in lichen planus. These structures are universally known as Civatte bodies. Nonetheless, they were first described by Raymond Sabouraud in 1912. Even after Achille Civatte discussed and beautifully illustrated them a decade later, it took until the late 1960s for the term Civatte body to win acceptance.

The man behind the eponym: Hans Biberstein and follicular hyperplasia overlying dermatofibroma.

Hans Biberstein first described the basaloid follicular hyperplasia overlying dermatofibromas in 1923 and published his extensive observations on the subject in 1931. Part of Josef Jadassohn's department in Breslau, he was forced to leave German by the National Socialist regime and spent the rest of his career in New York. After a hiatus of 30 years, the dermatopathologic literature once again began addressing his seminal finding but never gave him proper credit. We suggest Biberstein's sign as an appropriate term for basaloid follicular hyperplasia overlying a dermatofibroma and as a small tribute to a pioneer dermatopathologist.

The fate of Hungarian Jewish dermatologists during the Holocaust Part 1: Six refugees who fled.

From the times of Moritz Kaposi, Hungarian Jewish physicians have significantly contributed to the development of dermatology. Part 1 of this special report highlights some of the early Jewish dermatologists in Hungary. It also tells the stories of five Hungarian Jewish dermatologists who fled anti-Semitism in Hungary, or other European countries, between 1920 and 1941: Frederick Reiss, Emery Kocsard, Stephen Rothman, Peter Flesch, and George Csonka. A sixth Hungarian dermatologist, Tibor Benedek, was persecuted by the Nazis, because he had a Jewish wife, forcing the couple to flee Germany. Part 2 will focus on the ordeal faced by Hungarian Jewish dermatologists who did not leave their homeland during World War II.

The fate of Hungarian Jewish dermatologists during the Holocaust: Part 2: Under Nazi rule.

At least 564,500 Hungarian Jews perished during the Holocaust, including many physicians. Exactly how many Jewish dermatologists were killed is not known. We have identified 62 Hungarian Jewish dermatologists from this period: 19 of these dermatologists died in concentration camps or were shot in Hungary, 3 committed suicide, and 1 died shortly after the Holocaust, exhausted by the War. Fortunately, many Hungarian Jewish dermatologists survived the Holocaust. Some had fled Europe before the Nazi takeover, as was described in Part 1 of this contribution. Two Holocaust survivors, Ferenc Földvári and Ödön Rajka, became presidents of the Hungarian Dermatologic Society and helped rebuild the profession of dermatology in Hungary after the War. This contribution provides one of the first accounts of the fate of Hungarian Jewish dermatologists during the Holocaust and serves as a remembrance of their suffering and ordeal.

Analysis of original contributions in three dermatology journals.

In a cross-sectional analysis, the three top ranking dermatology journals ( Archives of Dermatology , British Journal of Dermatology , and the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology ) were evaluated for their scientific content, the characteristics of their authors, and funding aspects in 2002. A flood of scientific papers are published each year covering a broad variety of dermatologic topics. Aside from the actual content, a scientific article provides information about the number of authors, their nationality and affiliations, and, with some limitation, about previous presentations and funding. The present study analyzes this situation in dermatology by evaluating the content in the three top dermatologic journals.

The scientific legacy of Stephen Rothman.

The year 2014 marks the centennial of events that led to the First World War ("the war to end all wars") following the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of the crumbling Austro-Hungarian Empire. It also marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of Stephen Rothman and the 60th anniversary of the publication of his epic textbook The Physiology and Biochemistry of the Skin. In this review, we document our belief that Rothman had a seismic impact on moving investigative dermatology from a medical backwater to a scientific discipline that can hold its own with any other specialty.

Immunomodulatory macrolactams for topical treatment of inflammatory skin diseases.

Tacrolimus (FK-506; Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co Ltd) and pimecrolimus (SDZ-ASM-981; Novartis AG) are topical immunomodulators, which provide an alternative to glucocorticosteroids for the topical treatment of atopic dermatitis and other inflammatory dermatoses. Both substances form a complex with cytosolic immunophilins. The complex blocks calcineurin and inhibits the transcription of NF-AT-dependent pro-inflammatory cytokine genes. Multicenter, randomized, double-blind clinical trials have shown the efficacy of both substances in atopic dermatitis. We review the physicochemical characteristics, mode of action, pharmacokinetic data, side effects, results of the clincal trials and further indications for tacrolimus and pimecrolimus.

Dermatofibroma-a critical evaluation.

Dermatofibromas are common cutaneous lesions. In most cases, they can be readily identified clinically and show a typical histology. In a small percentage of cases they show unusual clinical and more often histologic features that may cause differential diagnostic problems. In addition there are reactive fibrous lesions with neural or smooth muscle features that we speculate may represent dermatofibroma variants.

Principles of dermatoscopy of pigmented skin lesions.

There has been a dramatic increase in the incidence of malignant melanoma in most parts of the world. Because the tumor thickness is the most important prognostic factor for the prognosis of the malignant melanoma, the early detection of thin melanomas is essential. Dermatoscopy allows the physician to discriminate between melanocytic and nonmelanocytic lesions with high diagnostic accuracy and to detect initial malignant melanomas. We review the principles of dermatoscopy and the differential diagnosis of pigmented skin lesions. Before using the ABCD rule of dermatoscopy to classify melanocytic lesions into benign, suspicious, or malignant, the distinction between melanocytic and nonmelanocytic lesions is necessary. An essential prerequisite for the usefulness of this technique is adequate training.

Erich Langer: the last Jewish dermatologist in Nazi Berlin. 532-41.

Nazi anti-Semitism had a considerable impact on dermatology during the period 1933 to 1945. Before World War II, dermatology in German-speaking lands was at the forefront of medicine, and about 25% of the dermatologists were Jewish. Many perished during the Holocaust; others emigrated from Germany and played a major role in advancing dermatology in their new homes, especially in the United States. Erich Langer (1891-1957) was almost unique, because he survived the entire period in Berlin. Langer had been chief of dermatology at Berlin-Britz, a large city hospital, before 1933 but was discharged almost immediately after the Nazi takeover because of his Jewish roots. In June 1945 he returned to his old department and resumed charge. He became one of the key figures in rebuilding German dermatology in the immediate postwar years. He served as first chair of dermatology at the new Free University in Berlin, started two journals, and wrote several books. Until recently, very little was known about Erich Langer's mysterious tale of survival and how he evaded Nazi roundups. Fortunately, we have discovered considerable archival material that has allowed us to piece together, for the first time, a detailed account of Langer's courageous and remarkable story as the last Jewish dermatologist inNazi Berlin.

Dermatologic relationships between the United States and German-speaking countries: part 3--the Europeans come to the United States.

Following World War II, dermatology in German-speaking Europe faced enormous challenges, including the need to rebuild damaged or destroyed facilities, the replacement of the loss of many prewar leaders, and a raging venereal disease epidemic. Restoration of academic excellence and leadership required that young German-speaking dermatologists had to seek additional training in the United States, thereby reversing the historical trends of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of the initial visitors included Herbert Goldschmidt, Egon Macher, Gerd Steigleder, and Klaus Wolff. By the 1970s, there were numerous German-speaking scholars coming to the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, with Albert Kligman and then to the Dermatology Branch at the National Institutes of Health and the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, and subsequently many other centers. Today, most of the leaders of German-speaking departments of dermatology have had some training in the United States.

Dermatologic relationships between the United States and German-speaking countries. Part I--before 1933.

The interactions between dermatology in the United States and German-speaking Europe have shifted dramatically over time and played important roles in the evolution of the specialty in both regions. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, American physicians wishing to become dermatologists were highly dependent on training in European centers of excellence.Many spent time in German-speaking cities, primarily in Vienna, Berlin, or Hamburg. The career paths of the founders of the major US dermatologic organizations, such as the New York Dermatological Society, American Dermatological Association, American Board of Dermatology, Society for Investigative Dermatology, and American Academy of Dermatology,point to the lasting impact of study in Europe on American dermatology. The European roots of James C. White, Louis Adolphus Duhring, Sigmund Pollitzer, and Marion B. Sulzberger among others are considered prototypes of the dominance of German-trained dermatologists on the specialty in the US that persisted until the 1930s and thereafter.

Dermatologic relationships between the United States and German-speaking countries: part 2--the exodus of Jewish dermatologists.

The rise to power of the National Socialist (Nazi) party led by Adolf Hitler and the subsequent tumultuous 12 years of their rule in Germany resulted in catastrophes including World War II, the most destructive war ever, and the premeditated and systematic murder of 5 to 6 million European Jews. Despite their notable contributions to the academic excellence that existed in German-speaking countries at that time, Jewish physicians were particularly vulnerable to persecution and death. Between 1933 and 1938, a series of repressive measures eliminated them from the practice of medicine in Germany and other countries. Although some died in concentration camps and others committed suicide, many were able to emigrate from Europe. Dermatology in the United States particularly benefited from the influx of several stellar Jewish dermatologists who were major contributors to the subsequent flowering of academic dermatology in the United States. A number of representative biographies of these immigrants are briefly recounted to illustrate their lasting influence on our specialty.

Mobile encapsulated adipose tissue (MEAT) of cows and humans: a distinct nonneoplastic entity.

Mobile encapsulated adipose tissue can be found in both the subcutis and peritoneal cavity. The cutaneous lesions are more common and better described; they are usually designated as "mobile encapsulated lipoma" or "nodular-cystic fat necrosis." The clinical name of abacus tumor describes best the small marble-like nodules that often can be moved freely through the subcutaneous tissue planes. Histopathologically, the nodules are composed of a dense fibrous capsule surrounding fat that may show varying degrees of necrosis, calcification, and lipomembranous changes. The peritoneal nodules are thought to originate from detached epiploic appendices. They are described occasionally in humans but more commonly in cows. Because these bovine mobile peritoneal bodies are clinically and histopathologically identical to the nodules in human subcutaneous tissue, the authors suggest that one can better understand both processes by comparing them. Because the lesions are reactive, not neoplastic, and necrosis is not an invariable feature, the authors suggest the neutral designation of mobile encapsulated adipose tissue.