Diagnosis | Floret lichen

Diagnosis

Floret lichen is usually a clinical diagnosis. This means that the doctor can draw conclusions about the diagnosis based on the clinical picture, i.e. the appearance of the skin and the patient’s medical history. Laboratory tests and further diagnostics are then negligible.

Typically, he pays attention to the type of skin appearance. In particular, he looks for redness and scaling. In addition, he pays attention to whether there is a roundish, oval skin appearance that is larger than the others.

This is usually the first to appear and is called primary plaque or primary medallion. The primary medallion is usually found on the trunk and is pale in the middle and reddened on the outside. Furthermore, the doctor will ask for symptoms such as itching and general fatigue.

However, these are usually missing. With a typical clinical picture and course of disease, further diagnosis is not necessary. If the findings are unclear, a skin biopsy, i.e. a fine tissue examination of the skin under a microscope, can provide information about the diagnosis. There are no relevant laboratory tests for the diagnosis of floret lichen.

Therapy

A specific treatment of floret lichen is usually not necessary, as the disease heals by itself after 8 weeks at the latest. Nourishing creams and ointments can help to improve the appearance of scaly and reddened skin. Skin irritations should be avoided.

It is therefore recommended not to wear particularly tight-fitting clothing or constricting items of clothing, such as belts. It should also be avoided to dry out the skin too much. Long and hot baths or showers are therefore not recommended.

Sauna visits or especially sweaty sports can also irritate the skin. Light sunbathing can alleviate the symptoms, but excessive exposure to the sun or even sunburn should be avoided at all costs. In cases of severe itching, ointments and lotions with active ingredients that relieve itching, such as weak glucocorticoids or antihistamines, are occasionally used. Although herpes viruses are suspected to be the viral cause of the erythema, therapy with the commonly used active ingredient acyclovir is not recommended.