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Delving into Wolf’s Isotopic Phenomenon: Tale of Two Cases of Psoriasis Localized to the site of Scars

Ujjwal Sanjay kumar Rathi, Vidya Kharkar, Vijay Deepak Joshi, Ketki Bhoite

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Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

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Journal of Dermatology 10(2):p 65-70, July-December 2025. | DOI: 10.21088/jd.2582.3582 10225.4

How Cite This Article:

Rathi US, Kharkar V, Joshi V, et al. Delving into Wolf’s isotopic phenomenon: tale of two cases of psoriasis localized to the site of scars. RFP Jr of Drea. 2025;10(2):65-70.

Timeline

Received : May 21, 2025         Accepted : July 21, 2025          Published : December 24, 2025

Abstract

Wolf’s isotopic response refers to the occurrence of a new dermatosis at the site of a previously healed and unrelated skin condition. While commonly associated with viral triggers such as herpes simplex or zoster, non-viral initiators are rarely reported. We present two unique cases of psoriasis developing exclusively at sites of old scars from non-viral causes. The first case involved a 33-year-old male who developed a psoriatic plaque over a thermal burn scar on the dorsum of the hand. The second case featured a 28-year-old male with psoriatic lesions localized to an atrophic scar following a traumatic injury to the shin. Both cases lacked involvement of other body areas. Diagnosis was confirmed by clinical features, dermoscopy, and histopathology. These cases highlight an atypical presentation of Wolf’s isotopic phenomenon and underscore the potential role of localized immune dysregulation and scar-mediated vulnerability in the development of secondary dermatoses.


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This research received no funding.

Author Contributions

All authors contributed significantly to the work and approve its publication.

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This article does not involve any human or animal subjects, and therefore does not require ethics approval.

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Cite this article

Rathi US, Kharkar V, Joshi V, et al. Delving into Wolf’s isotopic phenomenon: tale of two cases of psoriasis localized to the site of scars. RFP Jr of Drea. 2025;10(2):65-70.


Licence:

Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. 



Received Accepted Published
May 21, 2025 July 21, 2025 December 24, 2025

DOI: 10.21088/jd.2582.3582 10225.4

Keywords

Wolf’s Isotopic ResponsePsoriasis • Burn ScarPost-Traumatic ScarLocus Minoris ResistentiaeNon-Viral Primary Dermatosis Isotopic PhenomenonScar-Associated Dermatosis

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Received May 21, 2025
Accepted July 21, 2025
Published December 24, 2025

licence


Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. 



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