Erythroderma and alcohol abuse

We report on 7 patients with chronic alcohol abuse and ichthyosiform eryrhr oderma. Dry skin (i.e. xerosis cutis) was a striking common. feature in all patients who did not present any signs of fluid depletion. Two patients ha d exclusively exsiccational dermatitis; three had atopic disposition and on e nummular eczema of the legs. In another patient a drug allergy could be d emonstrated. Xerosis cutis seems to be an important precipitating aetiologi c factor for erythroderma, and may be a consequence of alcohol-induced diur esis. All patients recovered rapidly under topical treatment with emollient s and low potency steroids. We propose that ichthyosiform erythroderma be added to the known skin disea ses caused by chronic alcohol abuse.