Table of Contents  
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Year : 2014  |  Volume : 7  |  Issue : 2  |  Page : 261-262  

Indian signs in dermatology


Department of Dermatology, SDM College of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Dharwad - 580 009, Karnataka, India

Date of Web Publication4-Feb-2014

Correspondence Address:
Gaurang Gupta
Department of Dermatology, SDM College of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Dharwad - 580 009, Karnataka
India
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Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None


DOI: 10.4103/0975-2870.126397

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How to cite this article:
Gupta G, Reshma P, Naveen K N, Athanikar SB. Indian signs in dermatology. Med J DY Patil Univ 2014;7:261-2

How to cite this URL:
Gupta G, Reshma P, Naveen K N, Athanikar SB. Indian signs in dermatology. Med J DY Patil Univ [serial online] 2014 [cited 2024 Mar 28];7:261-2. Available from: https://journals.lww.com/mjdy/pages/default.aspx/text.asp?2014/7/2/261/126397

Sir,

Dermatology, the science of the skin, was one of the many specialties, which evolved from general internal medicine during the course of the nineteenth century. In India, therapeutics of dermatoses have been known and practised by physicians for centuries. Charaka Samhita contains one chapter on the subject. In this ancient book, worshipful Atreya Punarvasu has described eighteen dermatoses. He attributed these dermatoses to the preponderance of morbid humors (vata, pitta and kapha) causing disturbances of body elements and thereby diseases. [1] There are many legendary dermatologists who had contributed in the field of Indian dermatology. Contributions of Dr. JS Pasricha in contact dermatitis and pulse therapy is remarkable. [2],[3]

We have compiled all signs given by Indian dermatologist. However some of these signs are not globally accepted.


  Fountain Sign Top


This sign is mostly seen in Lichen Planus Hypertrophicus (LPH) lesions of less than 2 years duration. While injecting intralesional steroids by a 26G needle, it has been often found that the medicine comes out through the follicular openings in a jet mimicking a "fountain". [4]


  Reverse Namaskar Sign Top


In patients with Ehlers Danlos syndrome, there is hyperextensibility and fragility of the skin with easy bruisibility due to disorder in collagen. Patients are able to fold the forearms at the back and palms facing each other in a way to do Namaskar. This sign is known as reverse Namaskar sign. [5]


  Premlatha Sign  Top


In patients with pemphigus vegetans, there are characteristic cerebriform changes seen on the tongue. Cerebriform tongue, characterized by a pattern of sulci and gyri on the dorsum of the tongue has been reported in up to 50% cases of Neumann type. [6]


  Patrick Yesudian Sign Top


This sign is seen in neurofibromatosis type 1. Multiple melanotic macules of palms with varying size from 2 to 4 mm may be noted in 90% of Indian cases. Fifty cases have been studied in detail and recorded in the world literature in 1984. [7]


  Nose Sign (Pavithran's Nose Sign) Top


It is seen in exfoliative dermatitis in which there is complete absence of erythema and scaling of the nose and perinasal areas. It is hypothesized that sparing of nose in exfoliative dermatitis could be due to greater sun-exposure of nose or it could be explained by the mechanism of island of normal skin. [8]


  Hanging Curtain Sign Top


It is seen in patients with pityriasis rosea. When the skin is stretched across the long axis of the herald patch, the scale is noted to be finer, lighter, and attached at one end, which tends to fold across the line of stretch. [9]

 
  References Top

1.Behl PN. Heritage page-Growth of dermatology in India reproduced in original from Indian J Dermatol 1962, Vol.7 in. Indian J Dermatol Venereol 2001;46:188-92.  Back to cited text no. 1
    
2.Pasricha JS. Contact dermatitis in India. Financed by the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi: Government of India; 1988. p. 1-20.9.  Back to cited text no. 2
    
3.Pasricha JS. Pulse therapy in pemphigus and other diseases. 2 nd ed. New Delhi: Pulse Therapy and Pemphigus Foundation; 2000.  Back to cited text no. 3
    
4.Dhar S. Fountain sign in lichen planus hypertrophicus. Indian J Dermatol Venerol Leprol 1997;63:210.  Back to cited text no. 4
    
5.Premlatha S, Sarveswari KN, Lahiri K. Reverse namaskar: A new sign in Ehlers Danlos syndrome: A family Pedigree study of four generations. Indian J Dermatol 2010;55:86-99.  Back to cited text no. 5
    
6.Premalatha S, Jayakumar S, Yesudian P, Thambiah AS. -Cerebri form Tongue-a clinical sign in pemphigus vegetans. Br J Dermatol 1981;104:587-9.  Back to cited text no. 6
    
7.Yesudian P, Premalatha S, Thambiah AS. Palmar melanotic macules - A sign of neurofibramatosis. Int J Dermatol 1984;23:468-71.  Back to cited text no. 7
    
8.Kanwar AJ, Dhar S, Ghosh S. 'Nose sign' in dermatology. Dermatology 1993;187:278.  Back to cited text no. 8
    
9.Dhar S, Kanwar AJ, Handa S. 'Hanging curtain' sign in pityriasis rosea. Dermatology 1995;190:252.  Back to cited text no. 9
    



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  In this article
Fountain Sign
Reverse Namaskar...
Premlatha Sign
Patrick Yesudian...
Nose Sign (Pavit...
Hanging Curtain Sign
References

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