Papular acrodermatitis of childhood. An Australia antigen disease.

Papular acrodermatitis (PAC) is a fairly widespread, probably slightly infectious, nonrelapsing disease of childhood characterized by (a) papular eruption on the face and limbs lasting 20 days or more, (b) reactive reticulohistiocytic lymphadenitis, and (c) acute hepatitis, usually anicteric, which commonly lasts about 2 months. Australia antigen is always present; it is detectable 10 or more days after the onset of the skin eruption and persists from 2 months to several years. The mother of some children with PAC are found to be carriers of Au antigen, as are some sibs when tested many years later. Whether the causative agent of PAC is the same as that causing serum hepatitis, or is different, remains to be established.