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To the Editor:—I was very interested in the recent article (A. M. A. Arch. Dermat. 77:390, 1958) ``Keratoacanthoma Versus Squamous-Cell Carcinoma," by Drs. Moragas, Hamilton Montgomery, and McDonald. In a short paper on keratoacanthoma read at the Annual Meeting of the British Association of Dermatology in 1956 I made mention of one of the histological findings so clearly described by the above authors—namely the constant and well-marked inflammatory response occurring in the dermis close up to the base of all keratoacanthoma lesions. Considering this, and the extremely superficial placing of all these lesions, combined with the complete resolution of the lesions without treatment, I was emboldened to make a suggestion on etiology. I felt the major factor was an external one, in all probability a virus.
I wonder whether any of your readers, having viral investigation facilities at hand, have already gone into this. I would