Welcome to Dermbits! Watch short videos of KOLs answering your questions

thumbnail_dermbits-colorful.png

dermbits-colorful.png

Dermbits

DO, MPH

What is the best treatment for lichen planus pigmentosus?

JAK Inhibitors

You. We're often asked about a condition called lichen planus pigmentosis, which is essentially a form of lichen planus, where there are pigmentary disturbances, where patients have these brownish gray or blue slate gray magules and patches that primarily occur somewhat in sun exposed areas, particularly on the face, the forehead, especially sometimes the cheek, and along the posterior aspects of the neck, is quite common. It's extremely difficult to treat, but we do have a host of therapies, not that any of them are FDA approved for this disease, which is a subtype of lycamplanis, but we can use, initially, topical corticosteroids. I personally will rotate topical corticosteroids with other agents that are important even as monotherapy for treating these patients, such as topical calcium neuron inhibitors and as well, the newer generation Janus kinase inhibitors may play a role in the management of disease states like lichen planus, and therefore are slowly being used in the setting of lichen planus pigmentosis. Finally, we can use some oral therapies sometimes as well. Agents like oral dapsone have been used, ac tretin have been used, and finally, I will conclude with mini dose, 30 milligrams once a week, exocarin, which you know, is an anticoagulant therapy and that has been studied in some very, very small anecdotal trials for the management of lichen planus pigmentosis. Of course, you'd need to make sure that those patients are wearing sunscreen all the time so that their conditions does not worsen.