[Summer lichenoid papulosis]

A possibly new clinical picture observed in summer time is described by the authors. It consists of a lichenoid eruption suggesting sand dermatitis and occurring after prolonged sun exposures. The symptoms disappear 6-8 days after exposure but recurred at each new sun bath. The localization of the lesions on both covered and uncovered parts of the body did not favour the hypothesis of a direct action on the skin of the sun radiation. The histological picture was characteristic and consisted of focal parakeratosis, spongiosis, exocytosis of the epidermis and an angeitis of the blood vessels, of the upper dermis with alteration of the walls and lymphohistiocytary infiltrate of importance disproportionate to the smallnes of the clinical lesion. The name of "summer lichenoid papulosis" is given by the authors to this clinical entity and the differential diagnosis with other similar clinical pictures is established.