Generalized Lichen nitidus associated with Down's syndrome: case report

Abstract

Lichen nitidus is a disease of unknown etiology, characterized by flesh-colored, shiny papules of 1-2 mm and generally asymptomatic or with mild pruritus. The most common sites of occurrence are genitalia, upper limbs, trunk and abdomen. The generalized form is rare. This is the fourth reported case of lichen nitidus associated with Down Syndrome. Keywords: Down syndrome; Lichen nitidus; Lichenoid eruptions; Lichens Resumo: Líquen nítido é uma doença de etiologia desconhecida, caracterizada por pápulas normocrô-micas, brilhantes medindo de 1 a 2 milímetros de diâmetro, geralmente assintomáticas ou com leve prurido. A forma mais comum é a localizada nos genitais, membros superiores, tronco e abdome. A forma generalizada é rara. Este é o quarto relato de caso descrito de líquen nítido associado à Síndrome de Down.

Generalized Lichen Nitidus in a boy with Niemann-Pick disease type B

“…Its clinical course is unpredictable, although spontaneous resolution can occur after several years. 1 Generalized LN has occasionally been reported in association with genetic disorders: Down syndrome (four cases) 2 and Russell-Silver syndrome (one case). 3 No causative link was found between these associations.…”

Pediatric lichen nitidus: A single‐center experience

“…Initially described by Pinkus in 1907, lichen nitidus (LN) is a dermatologic condition which presents with multiple shiny, skin‐colored, pinhead‐sized, dome‐shaped papules, generally localized in the genital area, upper limbs, and trunk, rarely involving the palms, soles, or fingernails. Skin lesions may disappear at one region and then appear at another region.…”

Generalized lichen nitidus: a case report and review of the literature

“…A typical clinical pattern of lichen nitidus is characterized by the presence of numerous shiny papules which may appear in a variety of shades, from fleshy pink to dark brown, whereas within dark skin they appear as light spots [3, 4]. The papules are 1–2 mm in diameter.…”

“…The papules do not show a tendency to coalesce. However, occasionally cases of lichen nitidus presenting as a generalized form of the disease have also been reported [3–11]. Only rarely the disease involves hands and feet [12].…”

“…The hypothesis is based on cases in which lichen nitidus was familial [6]. Speculations have been made that the lesions may correlate with Crohn disease and Down syndrome and that they may appear after tattooing [3, 14, 15]. The disease is most common in children and young adults of both sexes, though cases of older patients have also been reported.…”