Koebner Phenomenon - Namesake Dermatologist

Namesake Dermatologist

The Koebner phenomenon was named after a rather eccentric, renowned German dermatologist, Heinrich Koebner (1838–1904). Koebner is best known for his work in mycology. Here is one story to illustrate his intense nature: in a medical meeting he proudly exhibited on his arms and chest three different fungus infections, which he self-inoculated in order to prove the infectiousness of the organisms he was studying. The Koebner phenomenon was the generalized term applied to his discovery that on psoriasis patients new lesions often appear on lines of trauma, which are often linear.