[Lichen sclerosus in children with phimosis]

Abstract

Aim: Lichen sclerosus, also known as lichen atrophicus, balanitis xerotica obliterans and kraurosis vulvae, is a chronic limphocytes-depending dermatitis predominantly found in the anogenital area of any age group, sex or race. It is most commonly found in Caucasian women: the female to male ratio ranges from 6:1 to 10:1. The real incidence of the disease observed in the literature depends remarkably on the age and sex group studied. The incidence in the pediatric population ranges from 10-15% to nearly 95% if we consider only boys with truly sclerosed and stenotic foreskins.

Methods: Our purpose is to evaluate the incidence of lichen sclerosus in a pediatric population with phimosis examinated from January 2001 to December 2004 in the Pediatric Surgery Department of Ferrara.

Results: Seventy-nine patients were circumcised: 71 because of a severe phimosis and associated problems such as disuria, urinary obstruction or balanitis and 8 to prevent urinary tract infections in children with vesico-ureteral reflux. Of the patients with severe phimosis 26 (36.6%) showed histologic evidence of lichen sclerosus of the foreskins. In the other group there was no evidence of lichen sclerosus of the prepuce.

Conclusions: After the circumcision no recurrence of the disease has been observed.