Comparative Study of OLP and OLL: Demographic and Clinical Profile in a Reference Center in Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To compare the demographic and clinical profiles of oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral lichenoid lesions (OLL) diagnosed at a reference center in Southern Brazil from 2010 to 2019.

Methods: This retrospective study included 117 cases of suspected OLP submitted for biopsy. Investigated variables comprised sociodemographic profiles, medical history, harmful habits, clinical characteristics, and histopathological features. Categorical and numerical variables were analyzed using chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests (p < 0.01), respectively.

Results: Applying strict diagnostic criteria, 29% (n = 34) of cases were classified as OLP and 71% (n = 83) as OLL. OLP cases had mainly multifocal manifestations (82.4%), exhibiting a reticular pattern (100%) and primarily occurring on the buccal mucosa (94.1%). Conversely, OLL cases presented both unilateral (48.2%) and multifocal (51.8%) distributions, with a predominantly atrophic-erosive pattern (77.1%) and higher occurrence on the buccal mucosa (69.9%) and tongue (48.2%). OLL patients reported a higher frequency of systemic disorders and medication use (p < 0.01). Hypertension was the most prevalent condition, leading to the frequent use of cardiovascular medications. Two OLL cases without initial dysplasia underwent malignant transformation.

Conclusion: Patient profiles and clinical manifestations of the entities were similar, highlighting the utility of a differential diagnosis, particularly given the apparent association between malignant transformation and OLL cases.

Keywords: clinical characteristics; oral diagnosis; oral diseases; oral lichen planus; oral lichenoid lesion.