Lichen Planus

lichen planus [‚līk·ən ′plan·əs]

(medicine)

A dermatologic disease of unknown etiology that also occurs in the mouth, on the tongue, or on the lips as smooth lacy networks of white lines or, less commonly, as white patches that may become ulcerative.

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Lichen Planus 

a skin disease characterized by the eruption of pointed flat nodules with a spirally twisted fluffy hair in the center; it is one of the keratoses. It appears in children aged 2 to 3, reaches a peak between ages 15 and 20, and subsides in adulthood; it occurs more often in girls and young women. The eruptions appear mostly on the extensor surfaces of the upper and lower limbs, the buttocks, and, sometimes, the scalp. Lichen planus is associated with dry skin and slight scaling of the skin, especially on the external surface of the upper and lower limbs. The disease is often a congenital anomaly; it may be a manifestation of hypovitaminosis A. Treatment is protracted and calls for large doses of vitamins A and E and warm baths followed by rubbing in ointments containing vitamin A and agents that dissolve the horny layer of the skin. Sea bathing combined with sunbaths and radon and hydrogen sulfide baths are beneficial.

REFERENCES

Popkhristov, P. Kozhnye bolezni v detskom vozraste. Sofia, 1963. (Translated from Bulgarian.)
Spravochnik po kosmetike. Edited by M. A. Rozentul. Moscow, 1964.
Mashkilleison, L. N. Lechenie i profilaktika kozhnykh boleznei. Moscow, 1964.

IU. K. SKRIPKIN and G. IA. SHARAPOVA