Generalized lichen nitidus successfully treated with an antituberculous agent.

We describe a Japanese girl with generalized lichen nitidus. She had been exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis at 6 years of age via her teacher. At 8 years of age, she developed severe contact dermatitis on sun-exposed areas after contact with Japanese lacquer trees. Shortly after, numerous tiny, shiny, flesh-coloured papules developed over the upper part of her body. At 10 years of age, she was exposed to a school outbreak of M. tuberculosis. Her eruption showed no response to topical corticosteroids or oral tranilast, but most of the papules completely disappeared after she had received oral isoniazid for 6 months.