Correlation between oral lichen planus and thyroid disease

Abstract

Introduction: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a mucocutaneous inflammatory autoimmune disease. The thyroid gland secretes hormones that control many aspects of human development. The correlation between thyroid disease and OLP is first identified in 1994 in a case report study. This report is car­ried out to explore the significance of the relationship between OLP and thyroid dysfunction. Simi­larities in the pathological mechanism of the two diseases are found - both conditions are T-cell-me­diated autoimmune diseases that are found more commonly in women than in men. Materials and methods: The main source of information for this report is a literature meta-analysis study including case reports and cohort studies. There is no patient elimination criteria based on age, sex, race or country. The main interest of the study is the odds ratio for OLP and thyroid gland dys­function. Serological levels of thyroid stimulating hormones and histological examination of lichen­oid lesions are used as evidence of the association between the two diseases. Results: The odds ratio for the association between OLP and thyroid disease varies from 1.71 (95% CI) in controls (patients not suffering from OLP) and 4.16 (95% CI) in OLP patients. Conclusion: It can be concluded that there is a positive and statistically significant link between OLP and thyroid disease. Based on that, it can be assumed that thyroid disease may be involved in the pathogenesis of OLP or that OLP is a manifestation of patients with thyroid disease. It is suggested that OLP patients, especially women, should undergo routine screening for thyroid disease.