Lichen planus by Uday Khopkar, Ameet Valia

Lichen planus is probably more common in India than it is elsewhere and most large pediatric case series have been reported from here. Cutaneous lichen planus is generally self-limited, but long-standing postinflammatory hyperpigmentation is common in Indians and may be socially distressing. An indolent and sometimes more extensive variant, lichen planus pigmentosus, was detailed by the late Professor LK Bhutani in New Delhi, India. This and other uncommon variants of lichen planus frequently pose a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to dermatologists. Oral lichen planus is associated with a very small risk of malignancy, placing a special responsibility on the dermatologist to not only just diagnose it, if needed with a biopsy, but also to monitor it on a long-term basis. And while there is no curative treatment for lichen planus, several non-corticosteroid options have appeared in the last two decades.

The book is arranged in various chapters on various aspects of lichen planus and its variants. Current understanding of the pathogenesis of lichen planus and its plethora of epidemiologic associations are discussed in the initial chapters. The clinicopathologic variants of lichen planus, at times with a regional approach, are discussed in detail. There are separate sections on its manifestations in children, dermoscopic signs, association with malignancy, and topical, systemic and light therapies. The book is abundantly illustrated, with more than 200 clinical, histopathologic and dermoscopic photographs that elucidate almost every variant of lichen planus.