LICHEN-PLANUS PRESENTING WITH ERYTHEMA-MULTIFORME-LIKE BULLOUS LESIONS IN A PATIENT WITH SYSTEMIC SCLERODERMA

A patient with systemic scleroderma is described who developed a cutan eous eruption of papules and vesicobullae. Over time, the latter turne d into papules. The histopathological and immunofluorescence features of the papular lesions were unequivocally those of lichen planus, whil e those of the bullous lesions reminded of erythema multiforme. Histol ogically, erythema multiforme shares common features with lichenoid re actions, such as necrotic keratinocytes. Our case suggests that erythe ma multiforme and lichen planus may coexist or succeed each other as d ifferent stereotype immune reactions against the same antigen(s) withi n the epidermis.