[Acrodermatitis enteropathica--zinc as a life-saving drug].

Formerly acrodermatitis enteropathica was treated with oxiquinoline without full control of the disease and with the danger of blindness. Moynahan has introduced zinc into the treatment with excellent results, based on the finding that acrodermatitis enteropathica is a zinc-deficiency disorder. Other authors and own observations have confirmed the findings of Moynahan. There are clinical, genetical, immunological and therapeutical parallels between the acrodermatitis enteropathica of man and the so-called hereditary parakeratosis of calves which also is a hereditary disturbance of zinc metabolism. The treatment of acrodermatitis enteropathica with zinc is furthermore a great success in the prevention of blindness, as zinc is not dangerous to the retina and the optic nerve.