Amlexanox is as effective as dexamethasone in topical treatment of erosive oral lichen planus: a short-term pilot study

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of short-term and topical application of amlexanox paste in the treatment of erosive oral lichen planus (EOLP). A randomized, positive-controlled clinical trial was conducted from September 1 to December 31, 2009. Thirty-eight patients with EOLP received amlexanox paste (n = 20) or dexamethasone paste (n = 18) for 7 days. Outcome measures included size of erosive area and visual analog scale (VAS) scores. After 7 days of treatment, both groups showed significant reduction in erosive area and VAS scores (P < .001). There was no difference between groups in the reduction of erosive area (P = .937) and VAS scores (P = .161). None of the patients had severe adverse reactions. Topical application of amlexanox appeared as effective as dexamethasone in the treatment of EOLP and no serious side effects were found in this pilot study.