Epidermolysis bullosa of the newborn.

THE CLINICAL history and the observations at necropsy of a 7 week old white girl afflicted with the rare disease epidermolysis bullosa hereditaria are presented. Herlitz1in 1935 collected 14 such cases and added 8 of his own. He defined the disease as a familial or hereditary tendency to progressive blistering of the skin and mucous membranes apparent at birth or soon after. Herlitz further stated that this type of epidermolysis differs from the classic simple and dystrophic forms in that it always leads to early death, usually occurring before the third month. Additional cases reported since 1935 are those of Davidson,2Brandberg,3Schroder and Wells4and Black, Wilhelm, Gilbert and White.5The case herein recorded is the twenty-seventh. REPORT OF A CASE The patient, B. S. H., a 7 week old white girl, was admitted to the University Hospitals on Oct. 29, 1944, with