LUPUS MILIARIS DISSEMINATUS FACIEI - THE DNA OF MYCOBACTERIUM-TUBERCULOSIS IS NOT DETECTABLE IN ACTIVE LESIONS BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

There has been a controversy as to the origin of lupus miliaris dissem inatus faciei (LMDF). It was originally thought to be associated with tuberculosis, due to its histopathological similarity, Recently. this association has been doubted, although there remain reported cases of LMDF associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Three patients with t he clinical and histopathological features of LMDF are described. Skin from these patients was analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) u sing two different oligoprimers for the detection of 123 bp and 165 bp DNA fragments specific for M. tuberculosis complex. With these two PC R systems, no M. tuberculosis DNA was detected in any of the LMDF pati ents, It was present in all positive controls and absent in all negati ve controls, In this study we could not demonstrate an association bet ween LMDF and tuberculosis.