title: Spirochetal forms in the dermal lesions of morphea and lichen sclerosus et atrophicus.
abstract: Morphea and lichen sclerosus et atrophicus are cutaneous diseases that are manifest by an early edematous stage, followed later by sclerosis and atrophy. They share features with acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans and erythema chronicum migrans, diseases that have been linked to infection by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. A modified silver stain was used to identify the presence of spirochetes in skin biopsy specimens of patients with morphea and lichen sclerosus et atrophicus. Spirochetal forms were identified in the lesional skin of 10 of 25 patients with morphea and in 10 of 21 cases of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus. These spiral forms of bacteria had a significant tendency to occur in early and fully developed lesions of morphea and in early lesions of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus, whereas they tended to be absent in lesions demonstrating late pathological changes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Puerto Rico, School of Medicine, San Juan 00936.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Taboas
mesh_terms: D001284:Atrophy; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group; D006801:Humans; D012594:Scleroderma, Localized / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012598:Sclerosis; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013144:Spirochaetales / Q000302:isolation & purification*