Definition And Description

The name Callositas is usually employed to designate circumscribed, elevated, and thickened patches of somewhat born-like appearance and dense stricture seated upon the skin.* callosities arise from frequent, intermittent, but severe mechanical pressure upon the skin, and are met with especially in persons following trades and occupations which involve the use of various tools. Shoemakers, tailors, workers in metals, etc., exhibit callosities so characteristic as to their location and form that the determination of the patient's occupation can sometimes be made by mere inspection of the affected parts. Vernois+ has devoted some attention to this point, and gives a list of situations in which callosities are met with among French workmen of different trades.

* A corn or clavus penetrates or is imbedded in the skin.

+ De la main des ouvriers et des artisans, an point de vue de l'hygiene et de la medecine legale. Paris, 1862.

Occasionally callosities or patches, which cannot be distinguished from those of mechanical origin, arise idiopathically and without apparent cause.

The diagnosis of callositas presents no difficulties.

The prognosis will depend, as a rule, on the possibility of removing the exciting cause. Generally, if the cause which produced them ceases to act, they sooner or later disappear. In the idiopathic form, however, the prognosis is very uncertain.

Treatment

Callosities, as a rule, produce very little inconvenience. In many cases they serve a useful function in preserving the deeper layers of the skin from injury, just as a hypertrophied heart serves in part to remedy the evils that result from certain valvular lesions. Under these circumstances treatment is of course uncalled for. Sometimes, however, callosities attain such development and extension that they interfere with the functions of the organs (the hands, for instance) on which they are situated, and relief is desirable. This may usually be afforded without difficulty. If the callosities are sufficiently horn-like and dense, they may be removed with a file or sand-paper. If less firm, may be shaved off with a sharp penknife, or very conveniently with a well made and properly tempered instrument of the form much used by chiropodists (Fig. 5).

Fig. 5. - Corn-knife (one-half size), used by chiropodists.

Instead of mechanical means chemical ones may be employed, tit her alkalies, preferably potassa, or acids, preferably nitric or acetic, being made use of.