Lichen Planopilaris

ABSTRACT

A 26-year-old Korean woman had a 5 month history of pruritic, keratotic papules on the scalp, trunk, and pubic area, which were accompanied by diffuse hair loss from the scalp, eyebrows and pubic area. She also had flat-topped violaceous papules on the scalp and pubic area, and white lace-like striae on the oral mucous and hard palate. Histopathologic study of the progressive stages of the disease revealed dilated follicles filled with horny material, hyperkeratosis, hypergranulosis and hydropic degeneration of the basal cell layer. Throughout the entire subepidermal region, there was an intense bandlike infiltration of mononuclear cells, which were most prominent at the lower pole of the hair follicles. The late stage of the disorder showed atrophy of the epidermis and atrophy of the hair follicles with fibrotic tracts, and mild mononuclear infiltrate at the sites of the former hair follicles. This is the first recorded case, to the best of cur knowledge, in Korea.