lichen planus

9.6

A skin disease that causes shiny, flat, purple, itchy bumps on the wrists or forearms

noun
/ˈlaɪkən ˈplænəs/

Specialized

: liquen plano

After consulting with her doctor, she learned that the itchy bumps on her wrist were caused by lichen planus.

Examples

Patients with lichen planus often experience persistent itching and discomfort.
Treatment for lichen planus may involve topical corticosteroids to relieve symptoms.
The dermatologist diagnosed the itchy rash on her arm as lichen planus.
She was diagnosed with lichen planus last year.
Many people experience lichen planus on their forearms.
He discovered he had lichen planus when he noticed the purplish spots on his forearms.
The dermatologist explained that lichen planus often appears as shiny, flat-topped bumps on the skin.

Synonyms

lichen ruber planus

vslichen planus

Specialized

9.9

A skin problem that causes shiny flat purple itchy bumps on the arms and thighs

has identical meaning but is an alternative variant medical name

Surface Forms

lichen planus singular

lichen planuses plural

Morphology

lichen + planus

The name is compositionally built from 'lichen' (a clustered skin lesion) plus Latin 'planus' (flat), so the core sense — flat, lichen-like skin lesions — is directly derivable from the constituents. Although 'planus' is a specialized/Latin element and was not listed in the provided dictionary entry, the morphological logic is transparent and a learner who knows both parts could infer the basic medical meaning.

Etymology

Lichen planus is a medical name that comes from Latin words: lichen ('a kind of moss') and planus ('flat'). Doctors named it this because the shiny, flat bumps on the skin look like patches of moss, so the name describes the rash.