Lichen Annularis

📋Overview

Lichen Annularis is a legacy medical term historically used to identify a variant of lichen planus characterized by ring-shaped, or annular, lesions. This chronic inflammatory disorder can affect the skin and mucous membranes, often manifesting as distinctive purple or reddish bumps.

These lesions may develop when the immune system triggers inflammation in the skin cells, though the exact underlying cause is not always fully understood. While the term is less common in modern clinical practice, it remains a descriptive identifier for the circular patterns observed during a physical examination.