Successful association in the treatment of pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta

Pityriasis lichenoides (PL) is an uncommon inflammatory skin disease. Traditionally, two clinical forms can be distinguished: pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta (PLEVA) and pityriasis lichenoides chronica (PLC). PLEVA is characterized by a generalized eruption of acute onset, consisting of papular lesions that develop central necrosis and scar. In contrast, PLC is typified by small scaly red papules that do not evolve into necrotic lesions and may persist for months or years. PLEVA and PLC represent two variants of the clinical and istological spectrum of PL, but intermediate forms can occur specially in children. Although PLEVA can be found in patients at any age, it occurs predominantly in the second and third decades of life; in fact, this disorder is remarkably rare in childhood. We report the case of a 9-year-old girl who developed PLEVA.