dermatolysis

Crocker suggested that Merrick's condition was caused by a combination of dermatolysis and bone deformities, as a result of changes in his nervous system.

After hearing Treves' description of Merrick, and viewing the photographs, Crocker proposed that Merrick's condition might be a combination of dermatolysis, pachydermatocele and an unnamed bone deformity, all caused by changes in the nervous system.

Cutis laxa (also known as Chalazoderma, Dermatochalasia, Dermatolysis, Dermatomegaly, Generalized elastolysis, Generalized elastorrhexis, or Pachydermatocele) is a group of rare connective tissue disorders in which the skin becomes inelastic and hangs loosely in folds.