Absence of anti-single-stranded DNA antibodies in vulvar lichen sclerosus et atrophicus

Morphea and lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LSA) are two cutaneous disorders with an unclear cause. The two disorders have been reported to occur in the same patient. 1,2 Thus, a common link has been proposed. However, Patterson and Ackerman 3 feel that morphea and LSA are two unrelated, distinct diseases. The most frequent specific anti-nuclear antibodies in localized scleroderma are anti-single-stranded (ss) DNA antibodies. The reported prevalence ranges from 38% to 75% of cases. 4,5 The anti-ss DNA antibodies are observed with greater frequency in generalized morphea and linear scleroderma, especially in active or extensive cases, compared with morphea. Nonetheless, even morphea revealed a prevalence of anti-ss DNA antibodies in 27% of the cases studied recently. 4 Because of the prevalence of this antibody in localized scleroderma, we decided to study the frequency of this antibody in LSA. Patients and Methods. Six patients with clinical and histologic evidence of vulvar