To the Editor.—
I was doubly interested in the two articles in the January Archives (1983;119:72-83) on keratosis follicularis, namely, the reproduction of the article by White, describing the condition (originally published in the J Cutan Genitourin Dis 1889;7:201-209), and the "Commentary: Darier-White Disease" by Rand and Baden.James C. White, MD, professor of dermatology at Harvard University, Boston, and Professor Ferdinand Jean Darier, working independently in Paris, described this previously unidentified entity. White's detailed clinical and histopathologic presentation and photographs are worthy of a second presentation almost a century later.The commentary by Rand and Baden brings this rare disease entity up to date with one exception— therapy. They stated that Darier's disease is clearly a disorder of keratinization and that "oral vitamin A has been used with variable success" and that more dramatic improvement has been reported after the administration of the new synthetic retinoids. Unfortunately, however, an