Atypical Lichen Planus in Childhood: A Case Report

Lichen planus is an idiopathic inflammatory disease of the skin and mucous membranes. This dermatosis, characterized by pruritic violaceous papules favoring the extremities, rarely presents during childhood. Although its pathogenesis is not fully understood, it has been proposed that an autoimmune reaction against epitopes on keratinocytes affected by viral or drug antigens may be responsible. In this article, a 3 year old case diagnosed clinically and histopathologically as lichen planus is presented. Etiological investigations revealed no pathology except HBV vaccination history. The debatable role of HBV vaccination in the pathogenesis of lichen planus is discussed with the review of data in literature.