LICHEN-SCLEROSUS AND LICHEN-PLANUS - A SPECTRUM OF DISEASE - REPORT OF 2 CASES AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

There has long been controversy concerning the relationship between li chen planus and lichen sclerosus. Whilst these two conditions are now considered distinct, there are shared clinical and pathological featur es. We now describe two patients with the cutaneous involvement of bot h lichen planus and lichen sclerosus, presenting a review of similar r eported cases and discussing the implications for pathogenesis of thes e two diseases. Neither lichen planus (LP) nor lichen sclerosus (LS) a re uncommon yet they have only infrequently been reported as coexistin g.(1-3) In his original description of LS, however, Hallopeau consider ed it to be a variant of LP4 and Gougerot has also commented on a poss ible common pathogenesis for the two conditions.(3) Features which ten d to support such an association include the distribution of the cutan eous lesions, histopathological features such as hydropic basal cell d egeneration and a band-like lymphohistiocytic infiltrate in the dermis , and the reported association with autoimmune disease.(5-7) We now re port two patients in whom coexistent cutaneous LS and LP was confirmed histologically.