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. 2011 Sep;112(3):328-34.
doi: 10.1016/j.tripleo.2011.04.009. Epub 2011 Jul 22.

Oral lichen planus and malignant transformation: a longitudinal cohort study

Gian Paolo Bombeccari  1 , Gianpaolo Guzzi, Mauro Tettamanti, Aldo Bruno Giannì, Alessandro Baj, Francesco Pallotti, Francesco Spadari
Affiliations

Oral lichen planus and malignant transformation: a longitudinal cohort study

Gian Paolo Bombeccari et al. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2011 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is associated with risk for developing oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We performed a 7-year prospective study to assess the incidence of malignant transformation of OLP among adults.

Study design: Three hundred twenty-seven OLP patients, 229 women (70.0%) and 98 men (30.0%), were observed during the follow-up period.

Results: During a mean follow-up of 81.7 months, 8 of 327 patients developed an OSCC in OLP areas (0.36%/y), yielding the high overall standardized incidence ratio of 17.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] 8.8-35.3). The standardized incidence ratio for OSCC was significantly higher in women [27.0 (95% CI 11.2-64.8)] than in men [11.2 (95% CI 3.6-34.9)]. Six OSCCs were well differentiated (75%) and 2 moderately differentiated (25%). Three subjects (37.5%) developed recurrences within 2 years (mean 16.1 ± 3.5 months). Disease-free survival rate after 69.8 months was 97.3%.

Conclusions: OLP was associated with a significant increase in the risk for OSCC. Close surveillance may help to reduce the morbidity of OSCC arising from OLP at 24 months.

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Comment in

  • The malignant potential of oral lichen planus - reply.
    Bombeccari GP, Spadari F, Guzzi G, Tettamanti M, Giannì AB, Baj A, Pallotti F. Bombeccari GP, et al. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2013 Mar;115(3):415-6. doi: 10.1016/j.oooo.2012.09.089. Epub 2013 Jan 9. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2013. PMID: 23312534 No abstract available.
  • The malignant potential of oral lichen planus--confusion galore.
    Sreenivasan V. Sreenivasan V. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2013 Mar;115(3):415. doi: 10.1016/j.oooo.2012.08.459. Epub 2013 Jan 9. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2013. PMID: 23312540 No abstract available.