A clinical and pathological survey of dermatosis papulosa nigra showed the disease to be more common than previously reported, occurring in 35% of an unselected group of adult Negroes. Involvement of the body was present in 24% of those who had facial lesions and was more prevalent than previously noted. There was a slight female perponderance, but it was less than previously reported. Forty per cent of the patients gave a history of other members in the family having a similar condition. Microscopically, the lesions were not diagnostic, in that no single lesion could be differentiated from seborrheic keratosis, but certain consistent features resulted in a histologic picture that was recognizable as highly suggestive of dematosis papulosa nigra.