Penile purpura as a manifestation of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus.

Heightened public and professional awareness of the sexual abuse of children demands that physicians be able to distinguish lesions associated with sexual abuse from those caused by primary skin disorders. Purpura is an occasional manifestation of pediatric lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LSA), especially when the vulva is affected. We report a 12-year-old boy with penile purpura that occasioned a consideration of sexual abuse but proved to be due to LSA.