IN 1927 Postma (1892-1960),1 a Dutch dermatologist, described the first case of a flushing syndrome in a patient who 4 years later was proven to suffer from an intestinal carcinoid. Postma, who has also made other contributions to internal medicine,2 designated the disease as "haemangioma planum extensum." The title of his article is important since it indicates that Postma was well aware of the nature of the cutaneous lesion: In his opinion, the ruddiness was due not to the flushing of normal skin but to a hyperemic reaction in a pre-existing angiomatosis of the skin.
Report of a Case
Postma's patient, a 45-year-old man, had had a ruddy face for as long as he could remember. Between 1924 and 1927, the red color of the face had become darker. In addition, the skin of his arms and trunk and ultimately also of the legs became red. The