Darier's sign is a change observed after stroking lesions on the skin of a person with systemic mastocytosis or urticaria pigmentosa.[1]

Stroking the skin leads to a localised subcutaneous anaphylactoid reaction with mast cell degranulation and urticarial rash.

In general, the skin becomes swollen, itchy and red. This is a result of compression of mast cells, which are hyperactive in these diseases. These mast cells release inflammatory granules which contain histamine. It is the histamine which is responsible for the response seen after rubbing the lesional skin.

Eponym

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Darier's sign is named after the French dermatologist Ferdinand-Jean Darier (1856–1938) who first described it.[2][3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Freiman, Anatoli; Kalia, Sunil; O'Brien, Elizabeth A. (July 2006). "Dermatologic Signs". Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. 10 (4): 175–182. doi:10.2310/7750.2006.00042. PMID 17234116.
  2. ^ Crissey, John Thorne; Parish, Lawrence C.; Holubar, Karl (2013). "Late nineteenth century French dermatology". Historical Atlas of Dermatology and Dermatologists. CRC Press. p. 75. ISBN 978-1-84184-864-8.
  3. ^ Mosby's Pocket Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions (Ninth ed.). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier. 2024. p. 343. ISBN 978-0-323-83291-5.