Leukokeratoderma estrovale digitorum inversa

Abstract

To the Editor:In the June 1996 issue of the Journal, Skidmore, Woosley, and Briggaman present a new entity termed leukokeratoderma estrovale digitorum inversa (J Am Acad Dermatol 1996;34:1074-6). This designation contains two errors that should be corrected.1.The gender in composite nouns is determined by the last noun, in this case by "to derma" (in Greek, το δϵρμα, ατοs, the skin, which is of neutral gender). The addition of a Latin adjective such as inversa must comply with this form and accordingly be given as inversum.2.The word estrovale cannot be found in any of the major Latin-English, Latin-Greek, or encyclopedic dictionaries (e.g., Liddell-Scott, Lewis & Short, The Oxford English Dictionary [comprehensive edition], or in Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, 2nd College Edition, 1972.). As alluded to in the article by Skidmore, Woosley, and Briggaman, this word should indicate a seasonal, summerlike quality of the condition. In Latin, there is such an adjective, the two forms of which are aestivus, -a, -um or aestivalis, -e. In the above context aestivale or aestivum, the neutral endings would be correct. Estrus, or oestrus, latinized from the original Greek, and its derivations, stem from "ho oistros" (ο οισοs, the gadfly, which is of masculine gender) or from the verb "oistrao" (οιστραω), which means to sting, to sting to madness, to rage.I suggest that the term should read leukokeratoderma aestivale digitorum inversum. To the Editor:In the June 1996 issue of the Journal, Skidmore, Woosley, and Briggaman present a new entity termed leukokeratoderma estrovale digitorum inversa (J Am Acad Dermatol 1996;34:1074-6). This designation contains two errors that should be corrected.1.The gender in composite nouns is determined by the last noun, in this case by "to derma" (in Greek, το δϵρμα, ατοs, the skin, which is of neutral gender). The addition of a Latin adjective such as inversa must comply with this form and accordingly be given as inversum.2.The word estrovale cannot be found in any of the major Latin-English, Latin-Greek, or encyclopedic dictionaries (e.g., Liddell-Scott, Lewis & Short, The Oxford English Dictionary [comprehensive edition], or in Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, 2nd College Edition, 1972.). As alluded to in the article by Skidmore, Woosley, and Briggaman, this word should indicate a seasonal, summerlike quality of the condition. In Latin, there is such an adjective, the two forms of which are aestivus, -a, -um or aestivalis, -e. In the above context aestivale or aestivum, the neutral endings would be correct. Estrus, or oestrus, latinized from the original Greek, and its derivations, stem from "ho oistros" (ο οισοs, the gadfly, which is of masculine gender) or from the verb "oistrao" (οιστραω), which means to sting, to sting to madness, to rage.I suggest that the term should read leukokeratoderma aestivale digitorum inversum. In the June 1996 issue of the Journal, Skidmore, Woosley, and Briggaman present a new entity termed leukokeratoderma estrovale digitorum inversa (J Am Acad Dermatol 1996;34:1074-6). This designation contains two errors that should be corrected. 1.The gender in composite nouns is determined by the last noun, in this case by "to derma" (in Greek, το δϵρμα, ατοs, the skin, which is of neutral gender). The addition of a Latin adjective such as inversa must comply with this form and accordingly be given as inversum.2.The word estrovale cannot be found in any of the major Latin-English, Latin-Greek, or encyclopedic dictionaries (e.g., Liddell-Scott, Lewis & Short, The Oxford English Dictionary [comprehensive edition], or in Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, 2nd College Edition, 1972.). As alluded to in the article by Skidmore, Woosley, and Briggaman, this word should indicate a seasonal, summerlike quality of the condition. In Latin, there is such an adjective, the two forms of which are aestivus, -a, -um or aestivalis, -e. In the above context aestivale or aestivum, the neutral endings would be correct. Estrus, or oestrus, latinized from the original Greek, and its derivations, stem from "ho oistros" (ο οισοs, the gadfly, which is of masculine gender) or from the verb "oistrao" (οιστραω), which means to sting, to sting to madness, to rage. I suggest that the term should read leukokeratoderma aestivale digitorum inversum.