Assessment of the value of immunofluorescence microscopy in the diagnosis of oral mucosal lichen planus

Abstract

Accurate diagnosis of oral mucosal lichen planus (OMLP) is essential if appropriate management is to be instituted. Direct immunofluorescence microscopy (DIF) has facilitated the diagnosis of some dermatologic diseases with oral manifestations, but its use in the diagnosis of OMLP is less well documented. In the present study, 165 biopsies from consecutive cases for which a provisional diagnosis of OMLP was suggested clinically or on the basis of routine histopathologic, or DIF assessment were studied. In 27 cases the results of DIF were non-contributory. In 13 cases the diagnosis could only be established by DIF examination. Nine cases clinically diagnosed as OMLP were assigned to a different condition on the basis of routine histology and DIF. It was concluded that DIF was an integral step in the diagnosis of OMLP.