Lichen planus: An unusual cause of phimosis

Abstract

We report on a 47-year-old man with oral and genital lichen planus. After some months of the disease, increasing phimosis developed which had not been present before. Retraction of the foreskin was now impossible and sexual intercourse was painful. Treatment with triamcinoloneacetonide and etretinate ameliorated the phimosis but the patient was still not comfortable and circumcision was performed. Histology from the foreskin revealed the typical picture of lichen planus. No features of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus were present. This is the first published observation of phimosis as a result of lichen planus.