Correlation between clinical and histopathologic diagnoses of oral lichen planus based on modified WHO diagnostic criteria

Abstract

Objective: We studied the correlation between the clinical and histopathologic diagnoses of oral lichen planus (OLP) based on the modified World Health Organization (WHO) diagnostic criteria (2003).

Study design: First, 4 oral pathologists and 4 clinicians reviewed and categorized 62 microscopic slides and clinical photographs based on WHO 1978 criteria, and then based on modified WHO definition. The number of photographs and microscopic slides in which all clinicians and all pathologists agreed were calculated and compared.

Results: Based on 1978 criteria, in 68% of cases in which all clinicians agreed about the diagnosis of OLP, all pathologists agreed about the diagnosis of OLP. Conversely, in 79% of cases in which all pathologists agreed on the diagnosis of OLP, all clinicians agreed on the diagnosis of OLP. Based on modified criteria, in 93.87% of cases in which all clinicians agreed on the diagnosis of OLP, all pathologists agreed on the diagnosis of OLP. Similarly, in 95.83% of the cases in which all pathologists agreed about the diagnosis of OLP, all clinicians agreed about the diagnosis of OLP.

Conclusion: Results show higher clinicopathologic correlation in the diagnosis of OLP based on the modified criteria of OLP compared with the 1978 criteria.