Striae cutis distensaeL90.6

Parallel stripy atrophy of the skin due to stretch-related (tearing) changes in the connective tissue. Such changes are observed during pregnancy (stretch marks), in obesity, after prolonged use of systemic or local glucocorticoids (steroidstria), or in rapid size growth in adolescence.

Occurs in puberty (70% in girls, 40% in boys) or during pregnancy (90% usually from the 6th month), after long-term use of internal or external glucocorticoids (steroid tria), in cases of rapid weight gain, after infectious diseases with endocrinological disorders (e.g. Cushing's disease).

Initially blue-reddish (Striae rubrae), later whitish, differently long and wide, jagged, parallel or diverging atrophic stripes with slightly sunken and thinned, transversely folded skin. A distinction is made between:

• Pubertal stripes (Striae adolescentium, Striae pubertalis): Mainly lumbosacral and localized on the thigh, trochanter and suprapatellar region.
• Stretch marks (Striae gravidarum): Mainly lateral abdominal areas, hips, thighs or mammae are affected.
• Rapid obesity with endocrinological disorder (Striae obesitatis, Striae rubrae): Abdomen, nates, thighs or axillary folds are affected.
• Often occurring after prolonged (usually several months) internal or external application of systemic glucocorticoids.
• Occurs after infections such as typhoid abdominalis, paratyphoid, influenza, typhus, typhus fever, tuberculosis (Striae infectiosae). In pleuritis exsudativa localized on the contralateral side of the effusion.

No causal therapy known. For pregnancy different (partly controversial) creams and ointments of different contents are offered which are supposed to reduce or prevent the formation of striae gravidarum when used regularly as a precautionary measure.