Inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal naevus with auto-immune thyroiditis: Coexistence of two auto-immune epithelial inflammations?

Abstract

We report a patient with an inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal naevus (ILVEN) coexisting with an auto-immune lymphocytic thyroiditis. The occurrence of two epithelial inflammatory processes could be linked and raises the question of auto-immune involvement in the inflammatory part of ILVEN. Moreover, expression of a membrane antigen, OKM5, usually assigned to antigen-presenting cells, especially macrophages, has been demonstrated on keratinocytes in some dermatological diseases including ILVEN. These data suggest that keratinocytes in ILVEN could present some antigens and perhaps autoantigens modified by the hamartomatous process, leading to an (auto-immune?) inflammatory reaction.