IN A recent communication from this center,¹ a benign form of gonococcemia was described. The principal manifestations of the syndrome as observed in 14 young adults were a characteristic hemorrhagic vesiculopustular eruption, arthralgia, and bouts of fever. Organisms morphologically similar to the gonococcus were identified in smears from the skin lesions in six of seven patients, but cultures from these areas were sterile. Moreover, no person in the series had a positive blood culture. Therefore, the concept that the exanthem resulted from bacterial embolization accompanying transient bacteremia remained speculative.

Since our original report was submitted for publication, 12 additional cases of gonorrhea with dermatitis have become available for review: two from Great Britain,² four from Denmark,³ and six more from Houston hospitals. Eleven of the 12 patients were female, a finding confirming the previous observation that the syndrome is predominant among the gentle sex.¹

It is