Lichen planus pigmentosus and lichen planopilaris are two clinically and histologically distinct forms of lichen planus. Lichen planus pigmentosus presents with sudden onset hyperpigmented macules and patches, predominantly in darker skin phototypes. On the other hand, lichen planopilaris is a scarring follicular variant of lichen planus that presents with progressive, permanent patches of alopecia. It is not uncommon for different variants of lichen planus to clinically coexist with each other. However, to our knowledge, there has been no previous reporting of linear lichen planus pigmentosus of the face with histological features of lichen planopilaris. We herein present a hybrid case of these two entities.

Lichen planopilaris is an uncommon dermatological manifestation of lichen planus of the scalp and results in cicatricial alopecia. We present a patient with lichen planopilaris and significant post-inflammatory pigmentary alteration, confirmed by histopathology. The patient's case represents a clinically important variation from an expected typical pattern of dyschromia at periphery of alopecic zones in lichen planopilaris.

Porocarcinoma (PC) is a malignant neoplasm arising from the intraepidermal ductal portion of the sweat gland duct. Lichen planopilaris (LPP) is a not so rare variant of cutaneous lichen planus (LP) with a preferential involvement of hair follicles, consisting of a chronic lymphocytic inflammation, leading to cicatricial alopecia. A 42-year-old woman, recently diagnosed with HIV infection, was referred to our clinic because of an alopecic patch of 6 years' duration. In the upper region of the alopecia a 1.5cm nodule was noticed, which the patient stated had started growing soon after the appearance of the hair loss. Biopsy of the alopecia margin confirmed the diagnosis of LPP, whereas biopsy of the nodule revealed an infiltrating tumor consistent with the diagnosis of PC. We present a scalp PC emerging in a background of LPP in an HIV patient. We do not know the role, if any, HIV infection and LPP played in this particular case. Immunosuppression and HIV have been implicated in the etiology of PC. However, her HIV diagnosis was made after the appearance of the scalp nodule. We did not find any association between LPP and PC in the literature. Even though an association by chance cannot be excluded, this deserves further investigation.

Lichen planopilaris (LPP) and frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) are scarring alopecias that cause significant distress and psychological morbidity. Limited studies have been performed examining the epidemiology of FFA and LPP. We performed a retrospective case cohort analysis by querying for patients with the ICD 10 code L66.1 (LPP, FFA) between 2015 and 2018 using the Clinical Data Warehouse (CDW) at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia Doctors. We calculated the one-year incidence of LPP/FFA between January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018 by identifying all patients without a previously recorded ICD code for L66.1 who presented as a new hair loss patient based on chart review. A total of 170 patients were identified with a new diagnosis of LPP or FFA in 2018 among 1,187,583 patients. The standardized incidence per 100,000 was 12.75 for LPP and FFA combined, 7.35 for LPP alone, and 5.41 for FFA alone. The incidence peaked in the 51 to 60 age range (3.36). The incidence was highest in non-Hispanic White patients (17.27), White patients of unknown ethnicity (26.26), and non-Hispanic Asian patients (17.27). In New York City, LPP and FFA are uncommon diseases that are most common in middle-aged females and non-Hispanic White patients.

Lichen planus is an inflammatory skin conditionwith characteristic histopathological findings thathas many clinical variants. Recently, there have been25 cases reported in the literature of lichen planuspigmentosus (LPPi) that preceded the developmentof frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA), which is a variantof lichen planopilaris (LPP). We review the literatureregarding LPPi, LPP, and FFA and present a case of a40-year-old African American woman with LPPi andLPP.

Background

Lichen planopilaris (LPP) is a rare, cicatricial, lymphocyte-mediated alopecia that is thought to have an autoimmune pathogenesis and possibly related to other autoimmune diseases. However, data are limited and studies that examine comorbid conditions are lacking.

Objectives

We sought to determine the prevalence of systemic comorbid conditions, nutritional deficiencies, psychological problems, and skin cancers in patients with LPP.

Methods

We identified 334 patients with LPP who were seen in the Department of Dermatology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation between 2000 and 2016. Patients with LPP were compared with 78 control patients with a diagnosis of seborrheic dermatitis.

Results

There were more female patients with LPP compared with the controls (93.1% vs. 79.5%; p < .001) but the average age did not differ (54.77 ± 12.83 vs. 52.19 ± 15.37; p = .12). Conditions positively associated with LPP were Hashimoto's thyroiditis (6.3% vs. 0%; p = .023), hypothyroidism (24.3% vs. 12.8%; p = .028), and hirsutism (11.4% vs. 1.3%; p = .006). Negatively associated conditions were allergic rhinitis (15% vs. 24.4%; p = .046), diabetes mellitus type II (11.7% vs. 21.8%; p = .019), hyperlipidemia (38.6% vs. 52.6%; p = .024), vitamin D deficiency (50% vs. 65.4%; p = .014), depression (15.6% vs. 28.9%; p = .018), and sleep problems (7.5% vs. 29.5%; p < .001).

Conclusions

Our study further emphasizes that dermatologists should screen patients with LPP for autoimmune disorders that are associated with LPP and complete a full metabolic workup to avoid missing other abnormalities. The importance of atopy, autoimmune disorders, endocrine disorders, nutritional deficiencies, psychological problems, and skin cancers in patients with scarring alopecia should be better understood.

A case of localized lichen planopilaris over the face, extending to the scalp is presented.This case highlights the different variations, which can occur in the presentation of localized lichen planus. The case was unique because of the extension of the lesions into the scalp. We also wanted to demonstrate the peculiar dermoscopic patterns of active lichen planopilaris when occurring over the face.

Graham-Little–Piccardi–Lasseur Syndrome (GLPLS) is a variant of lichen planopilaris, which is characterized by progressive cicatricial alopecia of scalp, non-cicatricial alopecia of axillae and pubic regions, and keratosis pilaris-like follicular papules over trunk and extremities. GLPLS is a disease of unknown etiology. However, recent reports support a central role for a T-cell-mediated immune response in the pathogenesis of GLPLS. Besides, although GLPLS is believed to occur sporadically, a genetic predisposition also has been implicated in the pathogenesis. On the other hand, GLPLS typically affects middle-aged women, particularly of the postmenopausal age group. A diagnosis of GLPLS is generally apparent with the presence of characteristic findings in a postmenopausal woman. Herein, we report a case of GLPLS in a 75-year-old woman with the typical triad of alopecia of the scalp, non-cicatricial alopecia of axillae and pubis, and a follicular keratotic eruption on the trunk.