Lichenoid Lesions (lichenoid + lesion)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


The oral health consequences of chewing areca nut

ADDICTION BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2002
C. R. Trivedy
Its effects on dental caries and periodontal tissues, two major oral diseases, are less well researched. Areca-induced lichenoid lesions mainly on buccal mucosa or tongue are reported at quid retained sites. In chronic chewers a condition known as betel chewer's mucosa, a discoloured areca nut-encrusted change, is often found where the quid particles are retained. Areca nut chewing is implicated in oral leukoplakia and submucous fibrosis, both of which are potentially malignant in the oral cavity. Oral cancer often arises from such precancerous changes in Asian populations. In 1985 the International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that there is limited evidence to conclude that areca chewing may directly lead to oral cancer. There is, however, new information linking oral cancer to pan chewing without tobacco, suggesting a strong cancer risk associated with this habit. Public health measures to quit areca use are recommended to control disabling conditions such as submucous fibrosis and oral cancer among Asian populations. [source]


Current epidemiology of atopic dermatitis in south-eastern Nigeria

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2004
Edith N. Nnoruka MB
Background, Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common pruritic, eczematous skin disorder that runs a chronic and relapsing course. In Nigeria, it is currently on the increase, particularly amongst infants, and has created cost burdens for families. It occurs in association with a personal or family history of asthma, allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis. Major and minor criteria exist as guidelines for arriving at a diagnosis of AD, and surveys from Western countries have shown that these features, in particular the minor features, vary with ethnicity and genetic background and can be used to aid diagnosis. African dermatologists have also voiced concern that the much used Hanifin criteria for diagnosis of AD may need some adaptation for use in Africa. Objective, To document the features and disease outcomes of AD seen amongst dermatology hospital patients in Enugu, south-eastern Nigeria, with a view to reflecting current features amongst Nigerian Blacks. Methods, A prospective study of AD patients seen over a 2-year period at a tertiary referral dermatology clinic (University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria) was carried out. A total of 1019 patients aged between 4 weeks and 57 years were included in the study. Results, The prevalence of AD was 8.5%, which is much higher than the prevalence of AD reported in various parts of Nigeria 15 years ago. AD occurred before the age of 10 years in 523 (51.3%) patients, whilst 250 (24.5%) had onset after 21 years. The earliest age of onset in infants was in the first 6 weeks of life, and this was found in 129 patients (12.7%). Education and occupation of household heads were the most significant (P < 0.001) factors associated with seeking proper health care for the child's AD. Four hundred and forty-one (43.3%) patients presented with subacute atopic eczema and 326 (32%) patients with severe impeteginized eczema. Four hundred and twenty-five patients (41.7%) had at least one first-degree family member with AD (16.7%), allergic rhinitis (10.3%), asthma (14.6%) and allergic conjunctivitis (2.1%), while 55 (13.3%) of controls had a positive family history (P < 0.01) of allergy. A personal history of AD only, without concomitant respiratory allergies, was seen in 486 (47.7%) patients. The face was affected in 431 (42.3%) patients. Inverse distribution of a flexural rash was observed over the extensor aspect of the joints: the elbow in 502 patients (49.3%), the wrist joint in 183 patients (17.9%) and the knee joints in 354 patients (34.7). The commonly observed minor features included xerosis in 719 patients (71%), papular lichenoid lesions in 547 patients (54.1%), infraorbital folds in 498 patients (49.2%), palmar hyper linearity in 524 patients (51.8%) and raised peripheral blood eosinophils in 519 patients (51%), particularly for those with severe AD. Fissured heels, forehead lichenification, orbital darkening, nail pitting, sand paper-like skin lesions on the elbows/knees/lateral malleolli, knuckle dermatitis of the hands, palmar erythema and pitted keratolysis occurred more uncommonly as minor features. Infective complications were very common and included bacterial infections (folliculitis, impetiginized dermatitis and pyodermas) in 425 (41.7%) patients, fungal infections in 377 (37%) patients, parasitic infections (scabies) in 90 (8.8%) patients and viral infection (herpes simplex and molluscum contagiosum) in 29 (2.9%) patients. Thirteen of these atopics were also HIV positive. Aggravating factors most commonly reported included heat intolerance, excessive sweating, humidity, grass intolerance, thick woollen clothing and drug reactions. Only three patients had food intolerance. Three hundred and ten patients (30.4%) recalled their AD being worse in the hot humid periods and 383 (37.6%) could not recall any periods of relief or remission. Conclusions, The prevalence of AD amongst south-eastern Nigerian Blacks is on the increase, as in other areas, although it is still lower here than in other parts of the world. Many conventional minor features were found, but some occurred less frequently than in other countries, which may be attributed to ethnicity. Further studies will be required to confirm the ethnic differences in these features of AD amongst Nigerians and other Africans, to clarify the features of AD that are peculiar to Africans. [source]


Lichenoid nail changes as sole external manifestation of graft vs. host disease

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2002
Sara Isabel Palencia MD
A 56-year-old-man who had refractory anemia with an excess of blasts underwent an allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) from his brother after preparation with melphalan and fludarabin. He received GvHD (graft-vs.-host disease) prophylaxis with cyclosporine from day ,1 at a daily dose of 5 mg/kg of body weight. The daily dosage was tapered gradually from day +20. On post-PBSCT day 68 he developed acute cutaneous GvHD grade 3 and acute gastrointestinal GvHD grade 2,3, which was resolved with a daily dose of 1 mg/kg of body weight of prednisone. The patient was discharged in good clinical condition and without signs of GvHD, and he started tapering his immunosuppressive treatment. By day 160 he developed oral lichen planus-like changes, with several reticulate white lesions on the oral mucosa. A biopsy specimen was microscopically consistent with lichenoid GvHD (Fig. 1). By day 150 after PBSCT, when he was being treated with CsA 100 mg once daily and prednisone 10 mg once daily, his fingernails started to grow abnormally and gradually became dystrophic and painful. Two months later his toenails became similarly affected. Although affecting all finger and toe nails, the lesions were especially important in both thumbs. Physical examination revealed multiple findings on his nails (Fig. 2): thickening, fragility, onycholysis, longitudinal striations, and even pterygium. The micological cultures were negative. A biopsy specimen showed an sparse papillary dermis lymphoid infiltrate with focal exocytosis and presence of isolated multiple necrotic keratinocytes (Fig. 3). These findings were interpreted as a lichenoid GvHD with oral and nail involvement. The patient did not have other associated cutaneous lesions. He did not develop signs or symptoms consistent with hepatic GvHD. In May 2000 thalidomide was added to the immunosuppressive therapy, at a daily dose from 100 to 300 mg according to tolerance (constipation, sedation, ,). The lesions on the oral mucous showed a substantial improvement, but the nail changes remained more or less stable. Thalidomide was discontinued after 7 months because the patient displayed numbness and tingling in the hands and feet consistent with a peripheral neuropathy. Twenty days later he stopped taking thalidomide and the oral lichenoid lesions worsened, resulting in difficulty in eating. He also developed periungueal erythema, swelling and intense pain after minimal trauma. The daily dose of prednisone increased to 20,30 mg with moderate improvement. However, the dose could not be increased because of the secondary immunosuppressive effects. Twenty-three months post-PBSCT the patient remains with intense oral and nail lichenoid lesions. Figure Figure 1 . Oral mucosa with a lichenoid hiperplasia and a band-like lymphoid infiltrate. Note the basal lymphocytosis with isolated necrotic keratinocytes Figure 2. Lichenoid graft-vs.-host disease showing marked nail involvement with a ridge in the midline Figure 3. Panoramic view of the nail epithelium. Dermal lymphocytes with basal exocytosis and apoptotic keratinocytes (arrow) are evident [source]


HPA-suppressive effects of aqueous clobetasol propionate in the treatment of patients with oral lichen planus

JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY & VENEREOLOGY, Issue 9 2010
MA Gonzalez-Moles
Abstract Background, Oral topical corticosteroids have potential to produce inhibition of the hypothalamus,pituitary,adrenal (HPA) axis. Objective, To assess whether clobetasol propionate (CP) in aqueous solution causes HPA inhibition. Patients and methods, Sixty-two patients with oral lichen planus or oral lichenoid lesions presenting with severe lesions were treated with topical oral 0.05% CP plus 100 000 IU/cm3 nystatin in aqueous solution. Initial treatment of three 5-min mouthwashes (10 mL) daily was reduced, when the response was deemed complete or excellent, to a maintenance treatment of one 5-min mouthwash on alternate days for 6 months; treatment was then withdrawn and patients were followed up for 1 year. HPA function was assessed by plasma cortisol measurement and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) stimulation at the end of the initial and maintenance treatment regimens. Results, The HPA axis was more frequently inhibited during initial (53/62; 85.5%) vs. maintenance (2/49; 4%) regimens of aqueous CP. Limitations, In patients with morning plasma cortisol levels between 3 and 18 ,g/dL, a normal result for the ACTH stimulation test only moderately reduces the possibility that a patient has secondary adrenal insufficiency. This can be considered a minor limitation in our study, as only three patients required additional assessment with the ACTH stimulation test. Conclusions, Hypothalamus,pituitary,adrenal inhibition is substantial during initial treatment with aqueous CP three times daily. [source]


A novel missense mutation in the COL7A1 gene causes epidermolysis bullosa pruriginosa

CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY, Issue 8 2009
B.-J. Shi
Summary Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) pruriginosa, characterized by severe itching and the presence of nodular prurigo-like or lichenoid lesions, is a rare clinical type of dystrophic EB. Mutations in the COL7A1 gene encoding type VII collagen, the major component of anchoring fibrils, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of the disorder. In the present study, we screened a Chinese family with EB pruriginosa for COL7A1 mutations by PCR amplification of genomic sequences and direct nucleotide sequencing. The mutation consists of a G,T substitution at nucleotide 6724 in exon 85, which leads to the substitution of glycine by tryptophan at codon 2242. This report adds new variants to the known COL7A1 mutations underlying EB pruriginosa, and provides the basis for genetic counselling and prenatal diagnosis for affected families. [source]