T. Bregant
Klinični oddelek za otroško, mladostniško in razvojno nevrologijo, Pediatrična klinika Ljubljana, Univerzitetni klinični center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenija

V. Dragoš
Dermatovenerološka klinika, Otroški oddelek, Univerzitetni klinični center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenija

Abstract

Blaschko's lines are the pattern assumed by different naevoid and acquired skin diseases on the human skin and mucous membranes. They were described and drawn by a German dermatologist, Blaschko, more than 100 years ago. These lines are to be distinguished from other linear patterns, such as Voight's lines, Langer's lines, and the lines of dermatomes, as they do not follow the course of nervous, vascular or lymphatic structu¬res in the skin. The cause of the distribution is a form of mosaicism, which can be manifested in a congenital skin diseases, many naevoid skin conditions such as linear sebaceous naevus or many of the acquired skin diseases, such as lichen striatus and linear psoriasis. In the article we present Incontinentia pigmenti as an example of a disease, where the skin lesions, which follow Blaschko’s lines, enable us to make the correct diagnosis.

Key words: Blaschko’s lines, embryology, skin, incontinentia pigmenti, children.