Dermatological manifestations in Yusho: correlation between skin symptoms and blood levels of dioxins, such as polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

More than 36 years have passed since the Yusho incident, and about 60% of the patients currently present with no skin symptoms. In contrast, in about 40% of the patients, characteristic skin symptoms of Yusho, such as pigmentation of skin, black comedones and acneform eruptions, could still be observed. Our analysis of the relationship between skin symptoms and blood concentrations of total PCDFs and total PCBs proves that not only PCBs but also PCDFs have an important role in the skin symptoms of Yusho.