The study suggests that similar surveys from different regions would expand our understanding of ABD.

Lichen planus (LP) in children is a rare entity. We report 23 cases of childhood LP seen over a period of 7 years. Ninety-six percent of the children were of Arab ancestry. There were 52% boys and 48% girls. Classic LP was the most common clinical variant (70%), followed by eruptive generalized LP (13%). A majority of the patients had mild, localized disease. Oral involvement was seen in 39% of patients. Topical steroids were the mainstay of treatment in most of the cases. Children with chronic and recurrent disease responded to dapsone therapy, whereas in those with eruptive and widespread disease, UVB phototherapy was found to be safe and effective. The present report highlights the salient clinical features, treatment, and course of LP in children in Kuwait compared to those reported in children of other countries as well as those of adults.

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is rare in children and adolescents. This study was aimed to determine the clinicoepidemiologic features of juvenile onset (≤18 yrs) MF in Kuwait. Thirty-six children and adolescents (≤18 yrs) with MF registered in a referral photobiology unit for cutaneous lymphomas between July 1991 and June 2009 were included in this study. Children and adolescents were observed to constitute 16.6% of the total number of patients with MF, with 97% of patients of Arab ethnicity. The age-adjusted incidence rate of MF in children and adolescents among the total population was 0.29/100,000 persons/year. Among 36 Arab children and adolescents, boys outnumbered girls by 1.25:1. Mean and median age at onset of disease was 9 years, and age at diagnosis was 13 years. Patch stage disease was the most common clinical variant (75%) with 56% with pure hypopigmented MF-variant. The majority of patients (75%) had stage IB (TNM and B staging) disease. The study highlights a high prevalence and incidence of juvenile MF in Kuwait with a predominantly hypopigmented presentation.

Lipoid proteinosis (Urbach-Wiethe disease) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder associated with deposition of periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive hyaline material in various tissues including skin, mucous membranes, and internal organs. A family is reported in which four siblings (two boys and two girls) born to nonconsanguineous parents had lipoid proteinosis. All had the characteristic hoarseness of voice and three had skin lesions. The diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of typical features on light and electron microscopy.

Our patients with MF were observed to have a relatively younger age at diagnosis, with a high proportion of patients diagnosed by the age 20 years. Arabs were observed to have a higher annual IR of MF as compared to non-Arab Asians. Hypopigmented MF is prevalent in our population. The study highlights the ethnic and/or regional variations in the clinicoepidemiological characteristics of MF.