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Arthus phenomenon
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Arthus phenomenon

medicine
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Article History

Arthus phenomenon, local swelling, redness, and tissue death following skin injection of soluble antigen into a subject previously immunized by a series of similar injections. The tissue damage is a result of the precipitation of antigen–antibody complexes in the walls of the blood vessels; the deposits are then ingested (phagocytosed) by neutrophilic white blood cells. The phenomenon is named for the French physiologist Maurice Arthus (1862–1945).

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kara Rogers.