Lichen planus and Hepatitis C: A case-control study

Abstract

Background The exact cause of LP is not known. However, the associationof lichen planus with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been reported inliterature. A wide variation in the reported prevalence of HCV infection inpatients with lichen planus in different geographical areas was observed. This case – control study was conducted to determine the frequency of hepatitis C in Sudanese patients with lichen planus at Khartoum Dermatology teaching hospital, Khartoum, Sudan.Methods During the year2010, 44 cases of lichen planus, 29 (62.5%) women and 15 (37.5%) men were diagnosed. They were diagnosed on the basis of the usual clinical features and, if necessary, typical histological findings. The patients were screened for the presence of anti-HCV antibodies by third generation ELISA and liver function tests. We used the results from screening of blood donors for anti HCV (carried out by Khartoum Hospital Blood Transfusion Bank) for comparison as the control group.Results None of the 44 patients with lichen planus, and the control group, had anti-HCV antibodies by ELISA-2.Conclusion It is likely that HCV virus have no an etiologic role in lichen planus in Sudanese patients.