[The Gardner-Diamond syndrome or painful recurrent ecchymotic purpura]

A case of Gardner-Diamond's syndrome is reported in which the lesions were localized to the face. The syndrome is characterized by the spontaneous onset of recurrent painful ecchymoses mainly in young women. The elective site of the lesions is on the limbs, sometimes on the abdomen or thorax, and only rarely on the face. They are accompanied by a very rich symptomatology contrasting with normal biological test results. An autoerythrocytic sensitization mechanism has been suggested but few biological arguments exist to support this auto-immune hypothesis of its origin. In contrast, the psychological background is hysterical in type, and the affection can be included among the psychogenic purpuras.