Treatment and symptoms of red lichen planus

Red flat lichen is a disease( chronic) and manifests itself in various parts of the skin: wrist joints, ankle joints and the inner surface of the forearms. It can also appear on the mucous membranes and in rare cases even affects the nails.

At this time, the cause or reasons for the development of red lichen planus remains unknown, some scientists consider it to be a viral disease, while others are somewhat nervous, or even cause the disease to be a genetic predisposition, but evidence of one or the othernot yet.
Red lichen planus usually affects the following parts of the body:

  • Loin.
  • Shins.
  • Hips.
  • Sexual organs.
  • Belly.
  • Surface of forearms.
  • Elbow bends.
  • Armpits.

Almost always rashes accompanied by severe or moderate itching. If the disease progresses, then any lesions of the skin( bruises, cracks or scratches) can manifest new foci. Formations can be up to a centimeter or more in diameter.

Symptoms of

Symptoms of red lichen are in most cases the following: small polygonal nodules appear with blurred outlines and a depression in the center of formation, have a pinkish-red color and often cause severe itching.

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There are several types of disease, treatment and symptoms of red flat lichen may differ slightly depending on the type of disease:

  • Atrophic form - the initial stage of this form is exactly the same as in most other forms, the difference of this form is manifested only after the lichenWill pass, in the form of keratinized skin seals in places that have been stricken with lichens. In most cases, this form affects the area on the limb bend, but sometimes appears on the head, in this case, there is a point-like baldness.
  • Sclerosing form is a very rare form of red lichen and very unpleasant. It leads to keloid-like formations on the skin, development of sclerosis or atrophy of the skin.
  • Pointed form - this species is characterized by the fact that, striking the hair bulbs, there is something like a small, but noticeably bulging spike, which is formed on the spot of the hair bulb. Most often this form affects the scalp and after curing there are hollows-scars in the lesions.
  • The warty form - mainly affects the lower leg and very rarely other parts of the body, it is characterized by severe itching and warty growths appearing on the primary red plaques. Quite hard to treat.
  • Ring shape - this form of lichen is distinguished by the fact that foci in the form of red plaques grow very quickly, while having time to heal in the middle. As a consequence, a kind of ring forms from the red spots, but it can also be a semi-circle shape, an arc or a garland. In most cases, it affects men and spreads in the genital area. Because of the similarity with the signs of syphilitic papules, it is often diagnosed incorrectly.
  • Bubble form is a fairly rare species of red lichen, characteristic features: blisters of small size and filled with a clear liquid, sometimes with impurities of blood. Usually occurs on the legs or feet.
  • Linear form - mainly manifested only in children. With a linear form, the papules are arranged linearly. To accurately diagnose the disease in this form, it is often necessary to use a histological method of investigation.

Treatment of

Almost in all cases, the treatment of red lichen is prescribed for a stationary examination and most likely it will be complex methods. Sanit all areas affected by the infection, for this check all possible pathogens and then treat. When the disease is in a progressive stage, in most cases the doctor prescribes antibiotics( macrolides or tetracycline).
With pronounced neurotic reactions, sedative medications such as valerian, small tranquilizers or bromide are prescribed, all in combination with vitamins( nicotinic acid, C, B6, B12, B15) that can be taken orally or injected.
In cases when tendencies towards erythroderma are indicated, non-hormonal anabolic drugs are prescribed in small doses: phytin, potassium orotate, etc. and together with them glucocorticoids: prednisolone, urbazone, dexesone. In addition, a complex of vitamins E and A is still used.
When the itching causes great anxiety, wiping( 70% alcohol and chloral hydrate at a concentration of 1%) can be used, followed by glucocorticoid ointments. Separate nodes are sometimes destroyed with the help of Bucca beams or cryodestruction( liquid nitrogen is used at temperatures ranging from -100 to-180 degrees Celsius).When the mucous membrane is affected, it is recommended to rinse the mouth with a solution of soda with a concentration of 1 or 2 percent.
In most cases, red lichen planus affects adults, but sometimes it can manifest in the child. In the event that the child is deprived of the disease from three years, the best treatment will be staying in some resort. Preference is given to the resorts, where you can find radon or hydrogen sulphide baths. Especially good are resorts in Sochi, Tskhaltubo, Kemeri, Sernovodsk and Pyatigorsk.
Almost always the disease passes without any complications and relapses, but the treatment can be quite long, up to two years, and sometimes after recovery many more years on the affected areas there is a characteristic pigmentation. However, there are cases when red flat lichen becomes chronic and in such cases it can appear very rarely( 1-2 times a year), and often enough, if not systematically.
There is a widespread myth that red flat lichen is an extremely contagious disease, but this has nothing to do with reality. The fact is that red flat lichen is not a dermatological disease and they can not be infected and can not be infected.