Widely Spread Unilateral Inflammatory Linear Verrucous Epidermal Nevus (ILVEN)

Abstract

Inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus (ILVEN) is an epidermal nevus that clinically and histologically mimics linear psoriasis. The pathogenesis of psoriasis has been widely investigated, with recent studies focusing especially on targeting proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-17A, TNFα, IL-23, and IL-12, while little is known about ILVEN. Since the treatment for ILVEN varies widely from the administration of topical ointment for psoriasis to invasive methods such as carbon dioxide gas laser, the differential diagnosis between ILVEN and psoriasis is necessary. In this report, we describe a case of widely spread unilateral ILVEN that clinically and histologically mimicked psoriasis vulgaris and could be diagnosed by immunohistochemical staining focused on the IL-36γ/IL-17A axis.

Keywords

• Inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus
• ILVEN
• Psoriasis
• IL-36Iγ
• IL-17
• Differential diagnosis