Louis-Frédéric Wickham and the Wickham's striae of lichen planus.

In 1895, Louis-Fédéric Wickham described whitish streaks, now known as Wickham's striae, on the surface of lichen planus papules. This historical note reprises the original article by Wickham, discusses his life and work, and describes the clinical picture and histopathologic foundation of the striae. The clinical feature, the histopathology, and the pathogenesis of lichen planus are not discussed.