various dermatological conditions and signs and syndromes are known , sounding same as commonly used words like fruits , foods , animals , and human parts . information is available on various misnomers , pseudo , triads , and name signs in dermatology . no compiled data is at hand available , describing various conditions under the above mentioned headings . dermatology is a tough branch to master , not just due to its ever growing knowledge base , but also because sometimes the minute clinical details help in differentiating between disorders which may differ widely in etiopathogenesis and treatment . simpler associations with things of daily use can aid tremendously in memorizing the disorders ; it can be a useful and an effective educational adjunct . an eponymous and toponymous association helps in remembering the things for a longer time and gradually becomes a part of our memory box . an electronic and manual search of standard dermatology textbooks : fitzpatrick 's dermatology in general medicine 7 ed . , rook 's textbook of dermatology 8 ed . , iadvl textbook of dermatology 3 ed . , lever 's histopathology , and various others was done . we here , list the complied data of conditions based on animal names in dermatology . however , no explanations for the pathophysiology and other details have been taken in it as it is beyond the scope of this article . typical plate - like large , dark brown or grey colored firmly adherent scales are present . scales characteristically give phenotypic resemblance to alligator [ figure 1a].bird - like facies : small face , thin beaked nose , and recessed chin giving a bird - like facies is seen in patients of progeria [ figure 2].bovine popular stomatitis : occupational disease transmitted from muzzles , presenting as solitary or few lesions confined to hands and forearms.buffalo hump : chronic glucocorticoid intake leads to excess abnormal deposition of fat over the back.bulldog jaw : syphilitic stigmata , the normal mandible appears longer and bigger.butterfly rash : confluent symmetric erythematous rash centered over the malar eminence and nasal bridge , characteristically sparing the nasolabial fold giving a butterfly appearance . it is seen in lupus erythematosus and pellagra [ figure 3].butterfly sign : butterfly - shaped area ( upper central back ) of sparing in patients with severe generalized pruritus.cat bite sign : radiological feature of congenital syphilis . localized well - defined bony destruction of medial portion of the proximal tibial metaphysis.cat scratch disease : caused by bartonella henselae and b. clarridgeiae . primary skin lesions appear 3 - 5 days after cat scratch , and may last for several weeks.cat tongue sign : carpet tack - like spines on the undersurface of characteristic hyperkeratotic scale of discoid lupus erythematosus.caterpillar bodies : seen on histopathology examination of porphyria cutanea tarda ( pct ) , appears as eosinophilic , elongated , wavy structures in lower and mid epidermis , and lies parallel to the basement membrane zone.caterpillar dermatitis : toxins in hair of caterpillars may produce severe pain , local pruritic erythematous macules , and wheals depending upon the species and on contact with skin.chicken skin / moroccan leather appearance : multiple , small ( 2 - 5 mm ) yellow - orange papules of rhomboidal or irregular shape , bounded by normal skin , coalesce to form larger plaques . pebbly - surfaced skin observed in pseudoxanthoma elasticum.crowe's sign : axillary or inguinal freckling in neurofibromatosis type 1 ( nf1).elephantiasis neurofibromatosa : diffuse neurofibromatosis of the nerve trunks associated with skin and subcutaneous tissue overgrowth [ figure 4].elephantine psoriasis : persistent thick scaly plaque of psoriasis.elephantiasis nostras verrucosa ( env ) : persistent and chronic lymphedema leads to characteristic changes of profound hyperkeratosis , lichenification , and permanent dermal fibrosis with verrucous , papillomatous , and tumor - like nodules [ figure 5].faun tail nevus : cutaneous stigmata for underlying spinal dysraphism , present as a tuft of long , soft , silky hair [ figure 6].fish like scales : icthyosis is derived from greek word ichthys , meaning  fish  . icthyosis is a group of disorders in which altered epidermal cell kinetics and differentiation results in clinical appearance of scales [ figure 1b].fish mouth wounds : gaping wounds produced in patients of ehler  danlos syndrome on minor trauma.fish odor syndrome : trimethylaminuria ; an offensively smelling tertiary amine , that is , trimethylamine giving rotting fish smell to breath , sweat , and urine.fish tail deformity : splaying of the base of distal phalanx as a result of new bone formation in patients with psoriatic arthritis.foxfordyce disease : apocrine miliaria . multiple skin colored to pigmented , dome - shaped , itchy follicular papules ; predominantly affecting the axillae . condition is named after george henry fox and john addison fordyce.lamb syndrome : it includes lentigines , a trial myxoma , mucocutaneous myxoma , and blue nevi.leopard skin : fine , thin , dry skin with mottled pigmentation , and leukoderma seen in berlin syndrome . onchocerciasis.leopard syndrome : lentigines , electrocardiographic abnormalities , ocular hypertelorism , pulmonic stenosis , abnormal genitalia , retarded growth , and sensineural deafness.leonine facies : a deeply furrowed may be present in sarcoidosis , air borne contact dermatitis , mycosis fungoides , amyloidosis , leishmaniasis.lizard skin : thickened , wrinkled , dry dermatitis skin seen in onchocerciasis is known as lizard skin.lobster claw deformity : one of the major components of ectrodactyly - ectodermal dysplasia - clefting syndrome syndactyly with oligodactyly , median clefts of the hands and feet , and opposable fingers lead to a so - called brownish pigmentation or burn , which may progress to intense erythema and vesiculation caused by a toxic liquid secreted by millipede.moth-eaten alopecia : acuminate follicular papular lesions of secondary syphilis leads to moth eaten alopecia.monkey facies : monkey facies with characteristic loss of the buccal fat pads . they are lamellated , elevated , brown , black or green masses , as in late syphilis.panda sign : nevus of ota persists in the periorbital area after laser treatment while clear from other sites.plucked chicken appearance : yellowish papules on the side of the neck in patients of pseudoxanthoma elasticum.pseudoparalysis of parrot : feature of early prenatal syphilis.raccoon eyes / owl - eye sign : accentuated , erythematous , scaly periorbital lesions in neonatal lupus erythematosus.rat mite itch : it is intense pruritus dermatitis caused by tropical rat mite.rodent ulcer : basal cell carcinoma may deeply invade and destroy the underlying tissue , representing the rodent ulcer.russell's sign : calluses , small lacerations or abrasions on the dorsum of the hand overlying the metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints , acts as a clue to bulimia nervosa.salmon patch : a pink blanching patch over forehead.school of fish appearance : arrangement of haemophilus ducreyi on gram stain , causative agent for chancroid.silverrussell syndrome : characterized by short stature , skeletal asymmetry , small incurved fifth finger , altered sexual development , and caf au lait macules ( calm).snail track : mucous patches of syphilis may coalesce to form snail track ulcer.spider angioma : variable sized spiders with central raised body and generally pulsatile on diascopy.toad skin : synonym for phrynoderma which is a type of follicular hyperkeratosis typically seen in vitamin a deficiency.tiger tail pattern : alternate light and dark band patterns of hair shaft of trichothiodystrophy on polarized - light examination.ugly duckling sign : nevi in an individual generally tend to share a similar appearance , so one that does not share the same characteristics should be considered for biopsy.zebra bodies : characterstic electron - dense bodies seen in fabry 's disease on electron microscopy in endothelial cells , pericytes , and fibroblasts.zebra-like hyperpigmentation : consists of congenital abnormalities and a patterned melanocytic hyperpigmentation of the trunk and extremities . typical plate - like large , dark brown or grey colored firmly adherent scales are present . bird - like facies : small face , thin beaked nose , and recessed chin giving a bird - like facies is seen in patients of progeria [ figure 2 ] . bovine popular stomatitis : occupational disease transmitted from muzzles , presenting as solitary or few lesions confined to hands and forearms . buffalo hump : chronic glucocorticoid intake leads to excess abnormal deposition of fat over the back . butterfly rash : confluent symmetric erythematous rash centered over the malar eminence and nasal bridge , characteristically sparing the nasolabial fold giving a butterfly appearance . butterfly sign : butterfly - shaped area ( upper central back ) of sparing in patients with severe generalized pruritus . primary skin lesions appear 3 - 5 days after cat scratch , and may last for several weeks . cat tongue sign : carpet tack - like spines on the undersurface of characteristic hyperkeratotic scale of discoid lupus erythematosus . caterpillar bodies : seen on histopathology examination of porphyria cutanea tarda ( pct ) , appears as eosinophilic , elongated , wavy structures in lower and mid epidermis , and lies parallel to the basement membrane zone . caterpillar dermatitis : toxins in hair of caterpillars may produce severe pain , local pruritic erythematous macules , and wheals depending upon the species and on contact with skin . chicken skin / moroccan leather appearance : multiple , small ( 2 - 5 mm ) yellow - orange papules of rhomboidal or irregular shape , bounded by normal skin , coalesce to form larger plaques . pebbly - surfaced skin observed in pseudoxanthoma elasticum . crowe 's sign : axillary or inguinal freckling in neurofibromatosis type 1 ( nf1 ) . elephantiasis neurofibromatosa : diffuse neurofibromatosis of the nerve trunks associated with skin and subcutaneous tissue overgrowth [ figure 4 ] . elephantine psoriasis : persistent thick scaly plaque of psoriasis . elephantiasis nostras verrucosa ( env ) : persistent and chronic lymphedema leads to characteristic changes of profound hyperkeratosis , lichenification , and permanent dermal fibrosis with verrucous , papillomatous , and tumor - like nodules [ figure 5 ] . faun tail nevus : cutaneous stigmata for underlying spinal dysraphism , present as a tuft of long , soft , silky hair [ figure 6 ] . fish like scales : icthyosis is derived from greek word ichthys , meaning  fish  . icthyosis is a group of disorders in which altered epidermal cell kinetics and differentiation results in clinical appearance of scales [ figure 1b ] . fish mouth wounds : gaping wounds produced in patients of ehler  danlos syndrome on minor trauma . fish odor syndrome : trimethylaminuria ; an offensively smelling tertiary amine , that is , trimethylamine giving rotting fish smell to breath , sweat , and urine . fish tail deformity : splaying of the base of distal phalanx as a result of new bone formation in patients with psoriatic arthritis . multiple skin colored to pigmented , dome - shaped , itchy follicular papules ; predominantly affecting the axillae . lamb syndrome : it includes lentigines , a trial myxoma , mucocutaneous myxoma , and blue nevi . leopard skin : fine , thin , dry skin with mottled pigmentation , and leukoderma seen in berlin syndrome . leopard syndrome : lentigines , electrocardiographic abnormalities , ocular hypertelorism , pulmonic stenosis , abnormal genitalia , retarded growth , and sensineural deafness . may be present in sarcoidosis , air borne contact dermatitis , mycosis fungoides , amyloidosis , leishmaniasis . lizard skin : thickened , wrinkled , dry dermatitis skin seen in onchocerciasis is known as lizard skin . lobster claw deformity : one of the major components of ectrodactyly - ectodermal dysplasia - clefting syndrome syndactyly with oligodactyly , median clefts of the hands and feet , and opposable fingers lead to a so - called  lobster claw appearance . millipede burns : brownish pigmentation or burn , which may progress to intense erythema and vesiculation caused by a toxic liquid secreted by millipede . moth - eaten alopecia : acuminate follicular papular lesions of secondary syphilis leads to moth eaten alopecia . they are lamellated , elevated , brown , black or green masses , as in late syphilis . panda sign : nevus of ota persists in the periorbital area after laser treatment while clear from other sites . plucked chicken appearance : yellowish papules on the side of the neck in patients of pseudoxanthoma elasticum . raccoon eyes / owl - eye sign : accentuated , erythematous , scaly periorbital lesions in neonatal lupus erythematosus . rat mite itch : it is intense pruritus dermatitis caused by tropical rat mite . rodent ulcer : basal cell carcinoma may deeply invade and destroy the underlying tissue , representing the rodent ulcer . russell 's sign : calluses , small lacerations or abrasions on the dorsum of the hand overlying the metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints , acts as a clue to bulimia nervosa . school of fish appearance : arrangement of haemophilus ducreyi on gram stain , causative agent for chancroid . silver russell syndrome : characterized by short stature , skeletal asymmetry , small incurved fifth finger , altered sexual development , and caf au lait macules ( calm ) . spider angioma : variable sized spiders with central raised body and generally pulsatile on diascopy . toad skin : synonym for phrynoderma which is a type of follicular hyperkeratosis typically seen in vitamin a deficiency . tiger tail pattern : alternate light and dark band patterns of hair shaft of trichothiodystrophy on polarized - light examination . ugly duckling sign : nevi in an individual generally tend to share a similar appearance , so one that does not share the same characteristics should be considered for biopsy . zebra bodies : characterstic electron - dense bodies seen in fabry 's disease on electron microscopy in endothelial cells , pericytes , and fibroblasts . zebra - like hyperpigmentation : consists of congenital abnormalities and a patterned melanocytic hyperpigmentation of the trunk and extremities . memorizing the fine details of the subject can become a herculean task , unless one adopts innovative methods that aids to memory like , linking commonly encountered objects and experiences to these rote facts . correlating daily use things like animals , etc . , with dermatological signs and conditions can make this cumbersome job of remembering things much easier . we have tried to provide a compiled list of all dermatological conditions and signs and syndromes which are pronounced same as various commonly used words like animals . till date , no literature in books or articles is available compiling all the conditions in dermatology under the above mentioned headings . this comprehensible conversation will definitely help residents in remembering dermatology in an easier way while doing their daily activity .
the world of dermatology is flooded with inflexions among clinical conditions and signs and syndromes ; making it interesting , but a tougher subject to remember . 
 signs and syndromes have always fascinated residents , but simultaneously burdened their minds , as these attractive names are difficult to remember . 
 this work was undertaken to review dermatological conditions and signs based on commonly encountered daily words and objects like animals , etc . 
 fifty dermatological conditions were found to be based on animal eponyms . 
 for example , the usage of animal terminology in dermatology like leonine facies is present in leprosy , sarcoidosis , mycosis fungoides ( mf ) , and airborne contact dermatitis ( abcd ) .