Lichenoid and other clinical presentations of atopic dermatitis in an inner city practice

Atopic dermatitis (AD) has many different clinical presentations. In our inner city practice, we have observed a variant of AD in our heavily pigmented patients that we have termed lichen planus-like atopic dermatitis because of its clinical similarity to lichen planus. Clinically, this variant may be distinguished by the presence on extensor surfaces and a more rapid response to treatment. Histologically, in lichen planus-like AD, a spongiotic dermatitis is present; further, there is no lichenoid dermatitis evident. We compare this presentation with the others seen over an eight-month interval in our practice. We report on a lichen planus-like variant of atopic dermatitis in our African American patients. A limitation to this report is the relatively small sample size. Facial/extensor is the most common presentation of atopic dermatitis in our predominantly minority clinic.