NEW YORK ACADEMY OF MEDICINE, SECTION OF DERMATOLOGY AND SYPHILOLOGY

The document from the New York Academy of Medicine discusses several complex dermatological cases, including a 25-year-old woman who developed arsenical dermatitis and alopecia after arsphenamine injections for syphilis, and a 37-year-old woman with a lichen planus-like eruption following gold therapy for arthritis. The discussions emphasize the challenges in diagnosing and treating skin conditions, particularly when drug-induced eruptions mimic other diseases like lichen planus. Experts debated the histological differences between true and drug-induced lichen planus, recommending uniform reporting to better understand these relationships. Other cases include seborrheic eczema, atrophic glossitis, leukoderma acquisitum centrifugum, and lupus erythematosus, highlighting the varied responses to treatments and the need for precise diagnoses.