Abstract
Blaschko’s lines, also called the Lines of Blaschko, named after Alfred Blaschko, are lines of normal cell development in the skin. These lines are invisible under normal conditions. They become apparent when some diseases of the skin or mucosa manifest themselves according to these patterns. They follow a “V” shape over the back, “S” shaped whirls over the chest, and sides, and wavy shapes on the head. German dermatologist Alfred Blaschko is credited for the first demonstration of these lines in 1901.
The lines are believed to trace the migration of embryonic cells. The stripes are a type of genetic mosaicism. These lines are to be distinguished from other linear patterns such as Voight’s lines, Langer’s lines, and the lines of innervation of the spinal nerves. They do not follow any known nervous, vascular or lymphatic structures in the skin.
Pierre Agache: deceased.
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References
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Agache, P. (2015). Blaschko Lines. In: Humbert, P., Maibach, H., Fanian, F., Agache, P. (eds) Agache’s Measuring the Skin. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26594-0_152-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26594-0_152-1
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