The history of annular lesions of skin diseases

Abstract

Annular skin eruptions encompass a wide array of different cutaneous afflictions that are a common occurrence in the practice of dermatology. Annular lesions present as oval or circular shaped patches and plaques with central clearing. The term annular has been employed in the vernacular since the 16th century; yet, it does not seem to have appearedin the dermatologic literature until the early 20th century. Such lesions are described and even illustrated but with different phraseology. We describe the history of annular terminology and its use in various afflictions of the skin.