Lichen planus-like eruption resulting from a jellyfish sting: a case report

Contact with a jellyfish can cause a wide variety of conditions, ranging from cutaneous eruption to fatal cardiovascular and respiratory collapse. Cutaneous features can be both acute and chronic. We report a case of persistent lichen planus-like eruption in a young boy after a jellyfish sting, a hitherto unreported occurrence.

A 15-year-old boy presented with multiple lichen planus-like violaceous papules over the lower part of his left thigh on the anterior aspect and also over the patellar region. He had a history of a jellyfish sting over his lower limbs incurred while bathing in the sea four weeks prior to presentation. Histopathology revealed a predominantly perivascular mononuclear cell infiltrate immediately beneath the dermoepidermal junction underneath the hyperplastic epidermis. The lesions significantly subsided with topical corticosteroid application.

This case report demonstrates a new variant of chronic cutaneous change following a jellyfish sting. We report it because of its uniqueness and we believe that physicians should be aware of the possibility of an aquatic animal-induced disease when dealing with lesions with lichen planus-like morphology.