DERMATORRHEXIS

Abstract

The so-called Danlos or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome consists of three symptoms: (1) pronounced fragility of the skin and its blood vessels, with breaking, splitting and the formation of hematomas and pseudotumors subsequent to the slightest trauma (dermatorrhexis-fragilitas cutis), (2) a more or less pronounced hyperlaxity and hyperelasticity of the skin (dermatochalasis-laxitas cutis) and (3) more or less pronounced hyperlaxity or hyperflexibility of the joints (arthrochalasis-laxitas articularis). I have had the opportunity of observing three patients with this syndrome, and I wish to report their cases, not to add much to the descriptions of this subject which have appeared in the European literature and in the paper by Tobias¹in this country but because it seems to me that little attention has been paid here to this syndrome by dermatologists, pediatricians and orthopedic surgeons. Furthermore, I think that the terminology needs revision, so that the importance of one of the symptoms