Atypical dermoscopic findings in patients diagnosed with lichen planus by histological examination

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Lichen planus (LP) is an inflammatory skin disorder characterized by discrete, violaceous, polygonal papules. The dermoscopic features of common inflammatory dermatoses are not well studied. Although previous studies have demonstrated the typical patterns of LP, we found some atypical dermoscopic findings without Wickham striae in patients who had been diagnosed with LP by histopathologic examination. Our aim was to assess the atypical dermoscopic patterns associated with LP. Methods: We analyzed the dermoscopic features of seven LP lesions with atypical dermoscopic findings from seven patients who had been clinically and histopathologically diagnosed with LP. Results: Dermoscopically, five of the seven patients showed the pigmented pattern. We observed the following diverse pigment patterns: dots/globules, diffuse peppering, perifollicular, and linear. We also observed vascular and erosive patterns of variant LP. Conclusion: In this study, we emphasize the role of dermoscopy for identification of the clinical status of LP and its correlation to the results of histopathologic examinations. In addition to the typical dermoscopic patterns, dermoscopic recognition of variation in the morphology of LP could aid in the diagnosis of LP prior to histopathologic evaluation.

Keywords

• dermoscopy
• histopathology
• lichen planus
• Wickham striae