SKIN 
 

January 2019     Volume 3 Issue 1 
 

Copyright 2018 The National Society for Cutaneous Medicine 42 

SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 
 

 
Bilateral Acquired Blashkoid Dermatitis 
 
Dathan Hamann, MD1, Catherine Ulman, MD1 
 

1Contact Dermatitis Institute, Phoenix, AZ 
2Division of Dermatology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 
 

 
 

 
Acquired blaschkoid dermatitis (ABD) is a 
rare self-limited inflammatory skin disease 
characterized by eczematous papules and 
plaques that follow the embryonic migration 
lines of Blaschko. 

 
A 68 year old man presented with a 3 month 
history of ill-defined pruritic rash on the 
bilateral forearms, ankles, and feet. He had 
no improvement using antifungals for a 
presumed diagnosis of tinea corporis with ID 
reaction. Skin biopsy demonstrated subacute 
spongiotic dermatitis with rare eosinophils 
and dyskeratosis. Patch testing to rule out 
allergic contact dermatitis was negative. He 
worsened despite systemic and topical 
steroid therapy and presented 2 months later 
with a striking non-dermatomal, linear and 
whorled dermatitis classic for acquired 
blaschkoid dermatitis (ABD) involving the 
bilateral upper and lower lateral extremities. 
 

 
 

 
ABD was first reported as “blaschkitis” in 
19901 and the nomenclature “acquired 
relapsing self-healing Blaschko dermatitis” 
was proposed by Megahed et al in 1994.2  
 
The similarities between ABD and the 
common childhood dermatosis lichen striatus 
(LS) has previously cast doubt on ABD as a 
distinct disease entity.3 Many dermatologists 
now generally consider ABD and LS to be on 
a united spectrum of blaschkolinear disease.4  
 
Recently, three cases of blaschkoid 
dermatoses were reported with prominent 
interface changes,5—which may be the a 
newly recognized manifestation of the 
blaschkoid disease spectrum. Unlike most 
dermatitis, ABD is rarely steroid-responsive 
and generally resolves without therapy, 
though protracted disease courses have 
been reported. Awareness of blaschkoid 
dermatoses in adults is necessary to 
distinguish between ABD and other diseases 
with linear morphology such as herpes 
zoster, linear lichen planus, or linear 
psoriasis. In children, blaschkoid dermatoses 
may also be confused with inflamed linear 
verrucous epidermal nevus. We here present 
a rare case of bilateral acquired blaschkoid 
dermatitis. Blaschkoid dermatoses are 
typically limited to 1 extremity and are almost 
always characterized by a unilateral 

INTRODUCTION 

CASE REPORT 

DISCUSSION 
 



SKIN 
 

January 2019     Volume 3 Issue 1 
 

Copyright 2018 The National Society for Cutaneous Medicine 43 

distribution. Bilateral LS has been described 
in several children.6 
 

 
 
We here present a rare case of bilateral 
acquired blaschkoid dermatitis. Bilateral LS 
has been described in several children, but 
we are unaware of prior reports of bilateral 
ABD. 
 
Figure 1: A 68 year old man with striking, blaschkoid, 
linear and whorled dermatitis on bilateral lateral upper 
and lower extremities. 

 
 
 
Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None. 
 
Funding: None.  
 
Corresponding Author: 
Dathan Hamann, MD 
Contact Dermatitis Institute 
Phoenix, AZ 
dathanhamann@gmail.com 

References: 
1. Grosshans E, Marot L. Blaschkitis in adults. 

Ann Dermatol Venereol. 1990;117(1):9-15. 
2. Megahed M, Reinauer S, Scharffetter-

Kochanek K, et al. Acquired relapsing self-
healing Blaschko dermatitis. J Am Acad 
Dermatol. 1994 Nov;31(5 Pt 2):849-52. 

3. Hofer T. Lichen striatus in adults or 'adult 
blaschkitis'?. There is no need for a new 
naming. Dermatology. 2003;207(1):89-92. 

4. Müller CS, Schmaltz R, Vogt T, et al. Lichen 
striatus and blaschkitis: reappraisal of the 

concept of blaschkolinear dermatoses. Br J 
Dermatol. 2011 Feb;164(2):257-62. 

5. Suárez-Peñaranda JM, Figueroa 
O, Rodríguez-Blanco I, et al. Unusual 
Interface Dermatoses Distributed Along 
Blaschko's Lines in Adult Patients. Am J 
Dermatopathol. 2017 Feb;39(2):144-149. 

6. Kurokawa M, Kikuchi H, Ogata K, et al. 
Bilateral lichen striatus. J Dermatol. 2004 
Feb;31(2):129-32. 

 

CONCLUSION 
 

 

mailto:dathanhamann@gmail.com