A case of actinic lichen planus.

The condition known as actinic lichen planus is believed to be a particular variant of lichen planus which occurs on light-exposed areas. Synonyms include lichen planus tropicus, lichen planus subtropicus, lichen planus in subtropical countries, lichenoid melanodermatitis, and lichen planus atrophicus annularis. The majority of reported cases are from the Middle East, although there have also been cases in North Africans, black South Africans, Kenyans, and Indians. There are other reports from Italy, the United States, and the Netherlands. 'Summertime actinic lichenoid eruption' has been suggested as a better term for the condition. A case of actinic lichen planus is described in a boy who has been resident in the United Kingdom all his life, but who is of Egyptian extraction.