The study demonstrated that AWP is a sign of both CF and the carrier state. It suggests that time to wrinkling decreases with decreased CFTR protein function. Patients presenting with AWP should be offered screening for both CF and the carrier state.

A survey of the incidence and prevalence of non‐melanocytic skin cancer in Geraldton, Western Australia, was undertaken in November 1987. All residents aged 40 to 64 years whose names were on the electoral roll on August 1, 1987 were invited to undergo a whole‐body skin examination by a dermatologist. When a skin cancer was suspected, participants were referred for treatment to their usual medical practitioner. Subjects were asked to recall incident skin cancers over the preceding two years, and medical records were searched for confirmatory evidence. Histological confirmation of all lesions, both prevalent and incident, was sought and sections were obtained for a standardized review. The prevalence of confirmed non‐melanocytic skin cancer in those aged 40 to 64 years was 7.0% in men and 4.7% in women. The prevalence of basal‐cell carcinoma (BCO was 6.5% in men and 4.5% in women while the prevalence of squamous‐cell carcinoma (SCO was 1.2% in men and 0.3% in women. The estimated incidence rate of non‐melanocytic skin cancer in this age group was 1560 per 100 000 person‐years. The estimated incidence rate of BCC in men was 1335 per 100 000 person‐years, and in women 817 per 100 000, while in men the estimated incidence rate of SCC was 890 per 100 000 person‐years, and in women it was 289 per 100 000 person‐years.

A 16-year-old girl presented with a 3-year history of painful swelling and wrinkling of her palms on exposure to water. Physical examination, after less than 2 min of immersion, showed thickening and exaggerated wrinkling of the palms giving a whitish pebbly appearance. Aquagenic wrinkling of the palms was diagnosed. The patient was tested for the common cystic fibrosis mutations, and was found to be heterozygous for the arg117His cystic fibrosis mutation. Her sweat test was normal.

The use of HSA equating to 1% TBSA results in an overestimate for adults (particularly women) and an underestimate for children. PSA equating to 0.5% TBSA appears to be suitable for adults. Patient variables including sex and BMI result in variation of HSA as a percentage of TBSA. The heterogeneity of the included studies and the lack of data for children are the major limitations of this study.