LASSIFICATIONS OF THE DYSPLASTIC skeletal diseases have been C attempted by many authors. Each time, a list has been offered with moderate to much misgiving. The serious student of bone diseases, after weeks of research, finds himself eritrapped in a long list of generic names ranging from chondrodysplasia, dyschondroplasia fetalis, pseudoachondroplasia to atypical achondroplasia, chondrodystrophies and osseous chondrodysplasias; each supposedly describing a new group of cases but retaining certain featuresfacial, statural, radiographicwhich are shared by other groups of cases reported. Side by side with generic listings are the eponymic types. As bizarre skeIeta1 diseases were recorded radiographically and documented historically, the author arid disease were associated. Thus, dystrophia osseuses familiale, type Morquio was contrasted with chondroosteodystrophias, type Brailsford and achondroplasia atypica, type Silfverskiold.
Since no one author has had the opportunity to see a large enough group of these rare skeletal dysplasias, collections are based upon reviews of case reports in the literature or unusual families of cases encountered in practice. Each experience is sufficiently rare to warrant a published report. Too often, the films are of poor quality and of limited scope. Despite this, new skeletal dysplasias are born with each passing year. The archives grow as authors claim unique aspects about their case or question the accuracy of other authors as to the validity of placing their case in the group subscribed to. 693 ARTHRITIS AND RHEUMATISM, Vor . 7 , No. 6 ( DETEMBER), 1964