KRAUROSIS VULVAE

The object in presenting this paper is twofold. Primarily it is to call renewed attention to an important precancerous condition concerning which there is a surprising lack of familiarity among the profession at large. Secondly, an attempt is made to clarify the troublesome confusion that has arisen from an unfortunate terminology. We have little hope of standardizing this terminology, since in the effort to do so the ablest writers have signally failed. We do hope, however, that by showing in detail wherein the confusion of terms lies, we may give to the reader a distinctive notion of the pathologic changes and clinical course of the disease.

When one searches the literature for some clear explanation of the puzzle, confusion becomes worse confounded. It is at once evident that the disease (or process) that is commonly called kraurosis was originally incompletely described and improperly named. Later writers, observing the clinical and