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The SAPHO Syndrome

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Pathogenesis and Treatment of Acne and Rosacea

Abstract

The SAPHO (synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, and osteitis) syndrome describes an association between skeletal disorders consisting of bone lesions and arthritis and various dermatologic conditions; the most frequent of these are palmoplantar pustolosis and severe acne. The acronym SAPHO was firstly proposed by Chamot and co-workers [1]. Although typical cases have been described in several countries beginning from 1961, under more than 40 different acronyms and denominations including acne induced arthritis, arthro-osteitis associated with severe acne, and recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis [2–4]. Diagnostic criteria proposed by the French authors include (1) osteoarticular manifestations of palmoplantar pustolosis, severe acne (conglobata or fulminans), or hidradenitis suppurativa; (2) hyperostosis of anterior chest wall, spine, pelvis, or limb, with or without dermatosis; or (3) chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis with or without dermatosis [2, 5].

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rheumatology Department of Lucania, San Carlo Hospital of Potenza, Contrada Macchia Romana, Potenza, 85100, Italy

    Ignazio Olivieri, Vincenzo Giasi, Salvatore D’Angelo & Angela Padula

  2. Madonna delle Grazie Hospital of Matera, Matera, Italy

    Ignazio Olivieri, Vincenzo Giasi, Salvatore D’Angelo & Angela Padula

  3. Rheumatology Division of “Villa Pini” Clinic, Chieti, Italy

    Carlo Palazzi

Authors
  1. Ignazio Olivieri
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  2. Vincenzo Giasi
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  3. Salvatore D’Angelo
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  4. Carlo Palazzi
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  5. Angela Padula
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ignazio Olivieri .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Dermatology, Venereology, Allergology, and Immunology, Dessau Medical Center, Dessau, Germany

    Christos C. Zouboulis

  2. Department of Dermatology, Andreas Syngros Hospital, University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Andreas D. Katsambas

  3. Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Albert M. Kligman

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Olivieri, I., Giasi, V., D’Angelo, S., Palazzi, C., Padula, A. (2014). The SAPHO Syndrome. In: Zouboulis, C., Katsambas, A., Kligman, A. (eds) Pathogenesis and Treatment of Acne and Rosacea. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-69375-8_77

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-69375-8_77

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-69374-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-69375-8

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