Nail lichen striatus: Report of seven cases and review of the literature

Abstract

Background: Nail involvement in lichen striatus (LS) is rare and has not been documented extensively. Objectives: This study describes the clinical and histological features, response to treatment, and follow-up in seven patients with nail LS. Methods: We reviewed seven cases of nail LS between 2006 and 2012 at the Dermatology Department, Yeouido St Mary's Hospital, Seoul, South Korea. Results: The median patient age was 11 years (range: 4-33 years), and the female:male ratio was 3:4. All patients had both typical skin lesions and nail abnormalities. In these cases, LS usually involved a single digit (n = 5). The most common nail change was longitudinal fissuring (n = 4). We actively treated both skin and nail lesions from the time of diagnosis. Most nail lesions resolved within a mean of four months of the initiation of treatment. Conclusions: Nail involvement in LS is rare; this case series highlights the associated nail changes. We emphasize that early accurate diagnosis and treatment may be beneficial in reducing nail deformities in patients with nail involvement.