NO EVIDENCE FOR BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI INFECTION IN LESIONS OF MORPHEA AND LICHEN-SCLEROSUS-ET-ATROPHICUS IN SPAIN - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY AND LITERATURE-REVIEW

The possible association of Borrelia burgdorferi with morphea and lich en sclerosus et atrophicus has been the focus of research and discussi on in dermatology during the last 10 years. To investigate the etiopat hogenic role of B. burgdorferi in morphea and lichen sclerosus et atro phicus lesions in Spain, we studied 14 cases: 8 patients with lichen s clerosus et atrophicus and 6 with morphea. For the whole group, a pros pective study was performed, including serologic studies by indirect i mmunofluorescence, histologic evaluation of shin biopsy specimens, cul ture studies, and polymerase chain reaction with different primers sen sitive for detecting virtually all B. burgdorferi strains tested to da te. Although one patient with morphea had positive serologic findings at low titer, we were not able to culture or detect borrelial DNA in a ny of the specimens.These findings do not confirm an association betwe en B. burgdorferi and morphea and lichen sclerosus et atrophicus.