Nail lichen striatus: report of seven cases and review of the literature.

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.