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DAVID R. WEAKLEY, M.D.; JULIA M. EINBINDER, M.S.

Arch Dermatol. 1961;84(3):459-466.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

Cantharidin is the vesicating agent of the beetle Canthus vesicatoria. Auspitz described the histopathology of such blisters in 1883,¹ and Miescher later confirmed his findings.² The major changes seen in the epidermis are spongiosis, vesiculation, and acantholysis. In 1926 Borger and Groll stated that cantharides tincture applied to the ears of mice decreased their respiratory rate.³ Little attention was then paid the substance until after 1952, the year of Lever's classic monograph in which he reported acantholysis to be the histologic sine qua non of pemphigus vulgaris.⁴ The numerous studies of cantharidin acantholysis which followed were facilitated by its successful stereospecific synthesis by Storck et al. in 1951.⁵

Acantholysis has been produced by other means.^6-9 The histologic changes of the cantharidin blister, however, probably more closely resemble sections of pemphigus vulgaris than those produced by other methods. Further, cantharidin is both reliable and simple . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
NEW YORK

From the Department of Dermatology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, and the Dermatology Service, the Presbyterian Hospital.

Footnotes
Submitted for publication March 23, 1961.

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