Motorcycling can be dangerous: verrucous lichenoid reaction to a tattoo

Abstract

Tattooing one’s body is currently a common practice worldwide; however, it is not risk-free. This is a case of a patient who tattooed himself motivated by his passion for motorcycles and then developed an exuberant lichenoid reaction to the red pigment used in the tattoo, with the appearance of verrucous lesions. Despite the lack of response to treatment, he states that he would tattoo his own skin again.

Tattoos: risks and complications, clinical and histopathological approach

“…It is the most common hypersensitivity tissue reaction that can occur in response to any ink color, but with a predilection for red ink due to the presence of components such as nickel, mercury, and cadmium, presenting even as verrucous lesions. 37 Lichenoid reactions can be caused by lichen planus or overlap with allergic reactions, and sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between these two etiologies, making clinical correlation crucial. Sometimes the lichenoid inflammatory pattern is associated with the Koebner isomorphic phenomenon in patients with undiagnosed lichen planus, so when it is found, other anatomical sites should be examined.…”