[Lichen planus with linear IgG and C3 deposits at the dermal-epidermal junction (author's transl)]

Report of 4 cases of clinically and histologically typical lichen planus with a linear IgG and C3 deposit at the dermal-epidermal junction in involved (4/4) and healthy (2/2) skin, as detected by direct immunofluorescence. Indirect immunofluorescence was negative (3/3). In these 4 cases, the clinical aspect was different: there were no vesiculo-bullous lesions in case 1; case 2 and 3 were of the partly vesicular type with dermal-epidermal separation only in the involved skin; in case 4, bullae were present on both healthy and lesional skin. This suggests that there might exist a broad spectrum ranging from lichen planus without clinical vesiculo-bullous lesions, but with linear IgG and C3 deposits, to lichen planus associated with clinical, histological and immunological symptoms of bullous pemphigoid.