Vijay Deepak Joshi Fellowship, Department of Dermatopathology, Kem Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Ujjwal Sanjay kumar Rathi Junior Resident, Seth GS Medical College and Kem Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Vidya Kharkar HOD & Professor, Seth GS Medical College and Kem Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Ketki Bhoite Fellowship, Department of Dermatopathology, Kem Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Address for correspondence: Vijay Deepak Joshi, Fellowship, Department of Dermatopathology, Kem Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India E-mail: vijaydj2196@gmail.com
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Ujjwal Sanjay kumar Rathi, Vidya Kharkar, Vijay Joshi 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 25, 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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Data Sharing Statement
There are no additional data available. All raw data and code are available upon request.
Funding
This research received no funding.
Author Contributions
All authors contributed significantly to the work and approve its publication.
Ethics Declaration
This article does not involve any human or animal subjects, and therefore does not require ethics approval.
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our gratitude to the patients, their families, and all those who have contributed to this study.
Conflicts of Interest
No conflicts of interest in this work.
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Cite this article
Ujjwal Sanjay kumar Rathi, Vidya Kharkar, Vijay Joshi 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.
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.
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.
Description: (A) Clinical image depicting erythematous plaque (3 cm x 2cm) with minimal scaling, present over dorsum of right hand, over an atrophic burn scar, (B) Dermoscopy (DinoLite II, Pro HR dermatoscope) at 10x magnification, in polarized mode revealed, regularly arranged red dots indicative of dotted vessels, on diffuse pink background
Description: (A & B) Clinical image depicting multiple erythematous plaques ranging in size from 1.5 cm x 1 cm to 3 cm x 2cm with
minimal scaling, present over left lower shin, overlying an atrophic post- traumatic scar, Polarised dermoscopy (DinoLite II pro
HR dermatoscope) at 10x magnification highlighted regularly arranged red dots, (C) reminiscent of dotted vessels, on diffuse pink
background
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Description: [A] Regular acanthosis with club-shaped rete ridges and superficial dermal, perivascular infiltrate (H & E, 4X), [B] Munro’s
microabscess (green star) and dilated papillary dermal blood vessels with perivascular infiltrate (yellow rectangle) (H &E, 40 X).
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Description: Pathophysiological cascade involved in Wolf's isotopic response