Frequency of Genital Involvement in Women with Oral Lichen Planus in Southern Iran

M Davarmanesh,A Monabbati,Z Deilami,L Dastgheib,A Samsami Dehaghani

doi:10.1155/2012/365230

M Davarmanesh, A Monabbati + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/365230

Copy DOI

Abstract

Background. Lichen Planus is a chronic mucocutaneous disease of immunological basis and unknown etiology. women with oral lichen planus may have concomitant manifestations in vulvovaginal areas. Objective. To determine the frequency and risk factors of genital involvement in a group of Iranian women affected by oral lichen planus. Methods. Thirty-six women with clinical and histopathological diagnosis of oral lichen planus were evaluated for demographic, historical, and clinical parameters of the oral disease. All the patients were referred for careful vulvovaginal examination, as well as histopathological assessment upon clinical indication. Results. Nineteen patients complained from genital symptoms but the number of women with the final diagnosis of genital lichen planus (n = 2) was too small to show any correlation with the parameters evaluated. Conclusion. In spite of low genital involvement possibly due to inadequate patient population, lack of follow-up visits, and contribution of genetic or ethnic factors, for conservative patient care, women with the oral lichen planus in particular those having some relevant genital symptoms, should preferably be referred for careful vulvovaginal examination. Multicenter cohort studies on women of different geographical regions or ethnicities who have genital lichen planus alone or in combination with other common sites are encouraged.

Highlights

Lichen Planus (LP) is an inflammatory disease of the stratified squamous epithelia with an unknown etiology [1]
Fifty women who referred consecutively to the Oral Medicine Clinics of Shiraz Dental School, Shiraz, Iran, from Spring 2007 to Autumn 2009 with a preliminary clinical diagnosis of Oral lichen planus (OLP) were selected to participate in our study
The exclusion criteria were as follows: (1) any use of systemic medications with potential suppressive effect on LP disease for at least a period of 6 months before examination; (2) patients showing any lichen planus-like lesion in a mucosal site in close contact or vicinity of possible causative dental restorations amalgam; (3) any history of jaundice, or any family or occupational history that might place the patients at risk of hepatitis C infection

Summary

Introduction

Lichen Planus (LP) is an inflammatory disease of the stratified squamous epithelia with an unknown etiology [1]. The association between LP of the vulva, vagina, and gingiva was firstly recognized and defined as vulvovaginal-gingival syndrome [4], or plurimucosal LP [5] which thereafter was commonly called female genital LP (GLP) It may occur as a classic form with typical papules on the perigenital skin (labia majora) [6] and asymptomatic reticular lesions [7], or affect the mucosal side of the vulva which is typically manifested as a glazed erythema with possible development of secondary erosions [6]. In spite of low genital involvement possibly due to inadequate patient population, lack of follow-up visits, and contribution of genetic or ethnic factors, for conservative patient care, women with the oral lichen planus in particular those having some relevant genital symptoms, should preferably be referred for careful vulvovaginal examination. Multicenter cohort studies on women of different geographical regions or ethnicities who have genital lichen planus alone or in combination with other common sites are encouraged

Methods

Results

Conclusion