[Cutaneous side-effects of treatment with lithium (author's transl)].

This paper describes the cutaneous side-effects which appeared in 5 patients under Lithium medication for manic-depressive disease: 2 cases with facial and dorsal acne, 1 case with generalized pruritus with burning sensations on the tongue and tumefaction of the lips, 1 case with endogenous generalized psoriasis and 1 case with palmo-plantar hyperkeratosis, ichthyosis and associated with euthyroid goitre. The lithium content of the tissues was assayed by flame spectrophotometry of calcinated biopsy material taken from the epidermis, the dermis and the subcutaneous adipose tissue from 4 of our 5 cases. An experimental investigation was carried out in guinea pigs fed with lithium salts during 6 months. The cation was assayed in samples of epidermis, dermis and perirenal adipose tissue. A study of the accumulation of lithium in epidermal, dermal and adipose tissue is thus added to the studies already published regarding the accumulation of this ion in other tissues.