Lichen planus actinicus treated with acitretin and topical corticosteroids

Dermoscopy of Actinic Lichen Planus in Skin of Color

INTRODUCTION

Actinic Lichen Planus (ALP) is a rare photosensitive variant of lichen planus. Four subtypes can be distinguished: pigmented, annular (AALP), plaque-like and dyschromic ALP.

METHODS

This is a retrospective; descriptive and analytical study investigating the dermoscopic patterns of different subtypes of ALP in skin of color.

RESULTS

Sixteen adult patients were included in this study; the majority of them were young females, while five patients with the pigmented subtype of ALP were more than 50 years old. This subtype was more prevalent in patients with phototype IV. AALP was described in men with a very dark phototype.In pigmented melasma-like ALP, dermoscopy showed an annular granular pattern, white reticular and circular Wickham striae (WS) with hypopigmentation lacking skin creases, dots inside circles and an eccentric pigmentation on circles. In ALP, annular, circular WS; and perifollicular white halos with follicular plugs were described. The black hole pattern with dotted vessels was seen in the dyschromic ALP. White-yellow-bluish WS were noticed in plaque-type ALP with circumferential radial lines at the periphery.

CONCLUSIONS

This descriptive study of dermoscopic patterns of various subtypes of ALP in skin of color highlighted new dermoscopic descriptions that vary according to the clinical variant or the morphology; lesions distribution; and phototype. Also, many epidemiological differences were found between our results and the literature concerning the older age of onset in melasma-like pigmented ALP, and the male predominance in annular ALP.

Familial Actinic Lichen Planus: Three Cases from the Same Family

Actinic lichen planus (ALP) that affects sun-exposed areas of the skin is an uncommon variant of lichen planus. While ALP is commonly triggered by ultraviolet radiation exposure, genetic predisposition may also be important in the pathogenesis of the disease. Herein, we report three patients with ALP from the same family, which supports the genetic etiopathogenetic factors of ALP.

Photoaggravated disorders

Photoaggravated skin disorders are diseases that occur without UV radiation but are sometimes or frequently exacerbated by UV radiation. In conditions, such as lupus erythematosus, photoaggravation occurs in a majority of patients, whereas in conditions, such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, only a subset of patients demonstrate photoaggravation. Polymorphous light eruption is a common photodermatosis in all skin types, making it important to differentiate photoaggravation of an underlying disorder, such as lupus erythematosus, from superimposed polymorphous light eruption. Disease-specific treatments should be instituted where possible. A key component of management of photoaggravated conditions is photoprotection with behavioral change, UV-protective clothing, and broad-spectrum sunscreen.

Actinic lichen planus: a presentation, deviant from the conventional

Actinic lichen planus, a variant of lichen planus usually in people living in the tropics, presents as annular or discoid patches over the sun-exposed regions. We present here a case of actinic lichen planus with papules and plaques over the malar region and dorsum of nose - a rare presentation of this entity.