Annular Lichenoid Dermatitis of Youth … and Beyond: A Series of 6 Cases

Annular lichenoid dermatitis of youth (ALDY) is a clinico-pathologic entity described in children and young patients, clinically reminiscent of morphea, annular erythema, vitiligo or mycosis fungoides. We report on six patients presenting single or multiple lesions, distributed particularly on the flanks and abdomen, with clinical and histologic features consistent with ALDY. Two patients were young girls and four were adults males. Three patients received topical therapy and four showed complete resolution of the lesions after a 24-65 months follow-up. Analogously to the cases reported so far, immunohistochemistry showed a T cell infiltrate with a predominance of CD8+ lymphocytes, while T cell receptor rearrangement was absent in all cases. It seems appropriate to include annular lichenoid dermatitis of youth among the dermatoses with a lichenoid pattern. For the first time, we found that it can affect also adult patients, therefore we propose to rename the disease annular lichenoid dermatitis. The differential diagnosis with mycosis fungoides, especially in adult patients, is particularly crucial for their proper management and treatment.