arthrochalasis

The so-called Danlos or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome consists of three symptoms: (1) pronounced fragility of the skin and its blood vessels, with breaking, splitting and the formation of hematomas and pseudotumors subsequent to the slightest trauma (dermatorrhexis-fragilitas cutis), (2) a more or less pronounced hyperlaxity and hyperelasticity of the skin (dermatochalasis-laxitas cutis) and (3) more or less pronounced hyperlaxity or hyperflexibility of the joints (arthrochalasis-laxitas articularis).

1936 June 28, F Ronchese, “Dermatorrhexis with dermatochalasis and arthrochalasis (the so-called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome)”, in American Journal of Diseases of Children, volume 51, number 6, page 1403

Generalized hypermobility of joints has been reviewed by Hass and Hass (1958) who described 5 patients in detail and called the condition arthrochalasis multiplex congenita; they noted that little attention had been paid previously to the orthopaedic manifestations and stressed that generalized hypermobility could exist without skin laxity; they suggested that it was an entity separable from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and that joint involvement was very variable.

1973 June 28, JR Owen, “Generalized hypermobility of joints: arthrochalasis multiplex congenita.”, in Archives of Disease in Childhood, volume 48, number 6, page 487