Alphos (from Greek ἀλφός ''alphos'' "a dull white leprosy") is a form of non-
contagious
Contagious may refer to:
* Contagious disease
Literature
* Contagious (magazine), a marketing publication
* ''Contagious'' (novel), a science fiction thriller novel by Scott Sigler
Music
Albums
*''Contagious'' (Peggy Scott-Adams album), 1997
* ...
leprosy
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...
, formerly described by the physician
Celsus
Celsus (; grc-x-hellen, ΚÎλσος, ''Kélsos''; ) was a 2nd-century Greek philosopher and opponent of early Christianity. His literary work, ''The True Word'' (also ''Account'', ''Doctrine'' or ''Discourse''; Greek: grc-x-hellen, ΛόγΠ...
under the name of
vitiligo
Vitiligo is a disorder that causes the skin to lose its color. Specific causes are unknown but studies suggest a link to immune system changes.
Signs and symptoms
The only sign of vitiligo is the presence of pale patchy areas of depigmen ...
, a term now used for another
skin disease
A skin condition, also known as cutaneous condition, is any medical condition that affects the integumentary system—the organ system that encloses the body and includes skin, nails, and related muscle and glands. The major function of this sy ...
. In alphos, the skin is rough, and looks as if it had drops of white on it, not much differing from
morphea
Morphea is a form of scleroderma that involves isolated patches of hardened skin on the face, hands, and feet, or anywhere else on the body, with no internal organ involvement.
Signs and symptoms
Morphea most often presents as macules or plaq ...
.
It is referenced in the Greek translation of ''
Leviticus'' 13:39.
References
* Murphy, James G. ''A critical and exegetical commentary on Leviticus''. 1872. xiii. 39. "It is alphos. This is a convenient word instead of the phrase ‘non-contagious leprosy.’"
*
* Wilson, Erasmus.
On Diseases of the Skin'. 1868. p 780.
{{infectious-disease-stub
Leprosy