title: Oral erosive lichen planus associated with thymoma treated with etretinate.
abstract: A 68-year-old Japanese woman was referred to our hospital with a 1-year history of multiple erosions on the oral mucosa and a few pruritic, bean-sized, reddish-blue plaques on the body. Based on physical examination, pathological findings, and immunofluorescence findings, a diagnosis of lichen planus (LP) was made. Computed tomography scan revealed a thymoma. After thymectomy, cutaneous LP lesions subsided spontaneously. Oral lesions responded well to oral etretinate therapy. We speculate that direct tissue injury by CD8(+)  T cells, activated by abnormal regulation of lymphocytes within the thymus, may cause LP.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Tomomitsu
authors: T
authors: Miyagaki
authors: Makoto
authors: M
authors: Sugaya
authors: Akie
authors: A
authors: Miyamoto
authors: Mayumi
authors: M
authors: Nagata
authors: Yohei
authors: Y
authors: Ichimura
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Mitsui
authors: Shinichi
authors: S
authors: Sato
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005050:Etretinate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007641:Keratolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D007641:Keratolytic Agents; D005050:Etretinate