This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Marcia E. Herman-Giddens, PA, MPH; Nancy L. Berson
Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC

JAMA. 1989;261(24):3548.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

In Reply.—

Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus is one of a number of diagnoses that can be mistaken for evidence of sexual abuse. We appreciate the comments of Drs Anders, Smith, and Koblenzer in providing the opportunity to discuss this condition. As the authors point out, misdiagnosis in child abuse may have even more serious ramifications than in many other areas of pediatrics. It is paramount that professionals who specialize in child abuse be familiar with differential diagnoses that include other conditions that might present as apparent physical or sexual abuse. Indeed, one must be familiar with endocrinologic and metabolic disorders, inflammatory bowel diseases, and infectious diseases as well as the field of dermatology. We, too, have seen several patients with lichen sclerosus et atrophicus who have been mistakenly diagnosed and referred to us because it was believed that the children were being abused sexually. Recently, we evaluated a 6-year-old girl . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?