Ever since Erasmus Wilson differentiated lichen planus from a chaotic group of dermatoses, dermatologists have come to recognize more and more the multiplicity of clinical features this disease may present. It may exist as a single group of papules or it may be a widely distributed eruption on the skin and on the mucosa. Morphologically the lesions may be arranged in a linear fashion or as various-sized ringlets. In color they need not be of the usual violaceous tint but may range from crimson to pure white. The condition may be acute or chronic, and there may be atrophy or hypertrophy. Furthermore, subjective symptoms may vary from none to an intense pruritus. Yet, notwithstanding this clinical polymorphism, there is always a fairly constant microscopic picture.
It is our purpose to discuss 2 cases of an unusual, hitherto undescribed variety of lichen planus which we have designated lichen planus follicularis circumscriptus.