title: Eosinophils in lichen sclerosus et atrophicus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The classic histopathologic features of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LS) include lymphoplasmacytic inflammation below a zone of dermal edema and sclerosis. The presence of eosinophils in LS has received little attention, but the finding of tissue eosinophils, particularly eosinophilic spongiosis in LS, has been suggested as a marker for the coexistence of autoimmune bullous disease or allergic contact dermatitis (or both). We sought to determine whether the histopathologic presence of dermal eosinophils or eosinophilic spongiosis (or both) in biopsies from patients with LS is associated with autoimmune bullous disease, autoimmune connective tissue disease or allergic contact dermatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of the histopathology and medical records of 235 patients with LS who were evaluated from June 1992 to June 2012 was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-nine patients (29%) had eosinophils on histopathology. Among patients with associated diseases, a statistically significant association between the eosinophil cohort and the cohort without eosinophils was not detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The importance of eosinophils is uncertain, but our data suggest that the finding of tissue eosinophils alone is not sufficient to prompt an extensive workup for additional diagnoses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Phillip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Keith
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Wolz
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.|Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Margot S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Peters
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018459:Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010391:Pemphigoid, Bullous / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012872:Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous / Q000473:pathology
keywords: autoimmune disease; eosinophil; eosinophilic spongiosis; immunobullous disease; lichen sclerosus