Therapeutic regional dermabrasion in papular lichen amyloidosis of shins

Abstract

Therapeutic regional dermabrasion of shins is a useful surgical method for planing away the persistent pruritic lichenified hyperkeratotic eruptions of papular lichen amyloidosis. Nine patients (6 females and 3 males) of 35 to 52 years age having papular lichen amyloidosis on shins, refractoryto various medical lines of treatment for 5-12 years duration were subjected to regional dermabrasion. Extensor surfaces (shins) of both lower extremities(18 sites) in all 9 cases were treated by multiple sittings of spot dermabrasion. All 18 sites healed with superficial scarring and complete response (100%) with total clearance of lesions was observed in all 18 sites. Pruritus stopped in all the 18 dermabraded sites immediately. No local recurrence hasbeen observed in any sites over a minimum follow up peroid of 1 1/2 years. Apart from superficial scarring occurring at all 18 sites the other side effect observed was varying degree of hypopigmentation in 10 out of the 18 sites dermabraded. Complication in the form of parchment like deep atrophic scarring with persistant hypopigmentation, erythema and at places depigmentation were obseved at 2 sites which were dermabraded deeply. Similar complications with delayed wound healing were observed at the 3rd site as sequel to secondary bacterial infection following spot dermabrasion.