Oral lichen planus update: clinical characteristics, treatment responses, and malignant transformation

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the current profile and the natural disease history of patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) and evaluate their responses to treatment.

Materials and methods: Ninety-five community-referred patients with OLP, who were examined in our Oral Medicine Clinic between May 1995 and August 1996, comprised the study group.

Results: The OLP patients had been followed for 1-20 years (mean 6.1). The average age at first-recognized onset was 59 years, and there was a 2.3 to 1 female predominance. Only five of the patients knew of a family history of lichen planus. There were no evident associations with smoking, candida, systemic disease or medications. Of the 222 involved mucosal sites, the buccal mucosa was involved most often (79%) and the erosive form was most frequent. Of 70 patients who received systemic and/or topical corticosteroid treatment for pain (83%) or annoying irritation (17%), all but five obtained complete or satisfactory relief. A squamous cell carcinoma developed at a lesion site in three patients (3.2%) during the observation period.