Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) “treeman syndrome” or Lewandowsky–Lutz dysplasia, is an extremely rare autosomal recessive hereditary skin disorder associated with an abnormal susceptibility to human papillomaviruses (HPVs) of the skin and a high risk of skin cancer.
- Resulting uncontrolled HPV infections result in the growth of scaly macules and papules, particularly on the hands and feet.
- Typically associated with HPV types 5 & 8 (present in 80% normal population as asymptomatic infections)
- Onset 1-20 years
History
Felix Lewandowsky was a German dermatologist, who had studied the disease and described it prior to his death. Wilhelm Lutz eventually believed that the disease was due to a certain overgrowth of skin cells after Lewandowsky’s death. However, later in 1939, two other men named Maurice Sullivan and Frances Ellis documented how the disease was connected to a different type of disease known as human papillomavirus (or HPV), which leads to much of what we now know today.
Case studies:
- Abul Bajandar
