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[Lichen planus and thymoma. A case]
G Ghigliotti1, A Nigro, C Gambini
1Division de Dermatologie de l'Hôpital San Martino de Gênes, Italie.
Introduction:
Lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin, rarely associated with a thymoma.
Case Report:
A 72-year-old woman with erosive buccal lichen, hypertrophic lichen planus of the lower limbs, severe myasthenia and acquired hypogammaglobulinaemia associated with thymoma. CD8 lymphocyte count was increased. In the months following surgical ablation of the thymoma, the clinical examination and laboratory findings progressively returned to normal. Two years later, the patient was in good health.
Discussion:
To our knowledge, this is the first report of favourable outcome after surgical treatment despite the aggressive symptomatology. The particular outcome allow confirmation that the thymoma plays a causal role in this syndrome and emphasizes the effects a thymoma can have on the immune system.