JEADV ISSN 1468-3083 1108 JEADV 2006, 20, 1108– 1113 © 2006 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Blackwell Publishing Ltd ORIGINAL ARTICLE Clinical features and risk factors for striae distensae in Korean adolescents S Cho,† ES Park,† DH Lee,† K Li,† JH Chung*‡ †Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine and ‡Laboratory of Cutaneous Ageing Research, Clinical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Boramae Municipal Hospital, Seoul, Korea Keywords adolescents, clinical study, striae distensae *Corresponding author, tel. +82-2-2072-2414; fax +82-2-742-7344; E-mail: jhchung@snu.ac.kr Received: 18 July 2005, accepted 3 November 2005 DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2006.01747.x Abstract Background Despite the high prevalence of striae distensae, clinical studies are few in number, and their pathophysiology still obscure. Objectives To determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of striae distensae that occur in Korean adolescents, and to correlate their clinical features with family history, other dermatological conditions, and body measurements. Methods One hundred and fifty-seven healthy Korean students, aged 15 to 17, were studied. A questionnaire and physical examination were employed to assess the subjects’ past and family history, and the distribution, clinical features and severity of striae distensae. Results Striae distensae were present in 131 subjects (83.4%). Ninety-four (88.2%) of 109 male and 37 (77.1%) of 48 female subjects were affected. The striae were white in colour in 69.5% and asymptomatic in most of the subjects. They developed at an average age of 13.8 years. Family history was present in 18 subjects (11.5%). Seborrhoea of the face was positively correlated ( P < 0.035) with striae distensae, and atopic dermatitis negatively correlated ( P < 0.001). In both sexes, the buttock was the most prevalent area of striae development, followed by the lower back and knee in boys and by the thigh and calf in girls. Striae were significantly more common on the thigh of girls and on the knee of boys. Conclusions Our results indicate that striae distensae are a common skin condition that occurs early in puberty regardless of gender, and that they have a different anatomical distribution and relationship with body measurements in each gender. Striae distensae, also known as stretch marks, are a relatively common skin condition that occurs frequently in association with adolescent growth spurts 1 and pregnancy, 2 with reported incidences approaching 40 – 70% of the adolescent population and 90% of pregnant women. They also occur in a number of pathological conditions such as obesity, Cushing’s and Marfan syndromes, 3 and long-term systemic or topical steroid use. 4 Despite the frequent occurrence of striae distensae, their aetiology is still obscure. Setting aside hereditary factors, corticosteroids and mechanical stretching of the skin are presumed contributory factors in the devel- opment of striae distensae. 5 There is much contro- versy over their pathophysiology, and previous studies are limited and conflicting. 6–9 It was the purpose of this study to determine the prevalence and clinical charac- teristics of striae distensae that occur in Korean adole- scents, and to determine the relationship between the disorder and family history, other dermatological conditions, growth rate and body measurements, in order to help elucidate the pathogenesis of this common yet mysterious condition.