title: Linear atrophoderma of moulin: report of 4 cases and 20th anniversary case review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Linear atrophoderma of Moulin (LAM) is a rare clinical entity which was first described by Moulin et al. in 1992. The diagnosis is clinical, characterized by acquired unilateral hyperpigmented, depressed band-like skin lesions following Blaschko's lines. The disease typically affects children or adolescents and has a good prognosis without evidence of long-term progression. To date, the pathophysiology is unclear. Different authors hypothesize that the disease is secondary to a mosaic manifestation as a result of a post-zygotic mutational event.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four patients (2 men, 2 women) had a history of unilateral band-like skin lesions located on the lower legs (50%) or the trunk (50%). Physical examination showed atrophic and hyperpigmented skin lesions along Blaschko's lines, which appeared during childhood in 3 cases and at the age of 20 in the last case. Lesions had progressed rapidly but seemed to have stabilized so far except for 1 case who presented spontaneous improvement. Histopathological examination revealed a normal epidermis with a hyperpigmented basal layer and a perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate in the dermis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LAM is a rare disease with 32 reported cases and remains an exclusion diagnosis. Since the problem is mainly esthetic, treatments should not be too aggressive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Lyon 1 University, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Pierre-Bénite, France.
authors.forename: Axel Patrice
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Villani
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amini-Adlé
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wagschal
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Balme
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017495:Hyperpigmentation / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*