Familial chilblain and late contractural arachnodactyly: a novel association?

ABSTRACT

We report an Italian family suffering from chilblain. Seven members over three generations affected, two of them presenting association with late contractural arachnodactyly. Inflammatory cutaneous lesions following exposure to cold or drop in temperature are called chilblain. Arachnodactyly is an hallmark of hereditary connective tissue disorders such as Marfan's syndrome and Beals' syndrome. The latter, showing joint congenital contractures, is called indeed congenital contractural arachnodactyly. We speculate that an underlying alteration in connective tissue could lead to the association between chilblain lesions and contractural arachnodactyly.