Abstract
BackgroundOral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory oral mucosa disease that is recognized as an oral potentially malignant disorder. However, the potentially malignant nature of OLP remains unclear.MethodsWe designed this study to examine the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with OLP and evaluate the associated malignant transformation rate. A total of 565 patients with a clinical and histopathological diagnosis of OLP who presented at our department between 2001 and 2017 were retrospectively studied. Patients who had clinical and histopathological features of oral lichenoid lesions (OLLs) classified as oral lichenoid contact lesions, oral lichenoid drug reactions and oral lichenoid lesions of graft-versus-host disease were excluded.ResultsThe study population included 123 men and 442 women aged 21–93 years (mean ± standard deviation, 60.5 ± 11.8). The 565 patients were followed up for a duration of 55.9 ± 45.3 months, during which 4 (0.7%) patients developed squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). In three of these 4 patients who developed SCC, the clinical type of OLP was the red type.ConclusionsOur results suggested that OLP was associated with a low risk of malignant transformation. We recommend regular follow-up for OLP patients and clear differentiation of oral epithelial dysplasia and OLLs to enable early detection of malignant transformation. Further investigation of the clinical risk factors associated with malignant transformation is necessary.
Highlights
Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory oral mucosa disease that is recognized as an oral potentially malignant disorder
Patients were diagnosed with OLP by having their records reviewed by both experienced clinicians and experienced pathologists according to these diagnostic criteria
Patients were excluded from this study for the following reasons: (1) Any patients who were not histopathologically examined; (2) any patients who had clinical and histopathological features of oral lichenoid lesions (OLLs) proposed by the 2006 World Workshop of Oral Medicine IV [8]; and (3) any patients who were followed up for less than 6 months, even if they were diagnosed with OLP
Summary
Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory oral mucosa disease that is recognized as an oral potentially malignant disorder. Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory oral mucosa disease of unknown etiology that has an estimated global prevalence of 1.01% [1]. Tsushima et al BMC Oral Health (2021) 21:298 that did not mention whether epithelial dysplasia was distinguished or excluded from the OLP diagnosis. In 2016, the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (AAOMP) proposed diagnostic criteria for OLP [3]. They emphasized clinical and histopathologic correlations in making the diagnosis of OLP. They recommended that clinicians provide all relevant clinical information to pathologists to aid in accurate diagnosis and encouraged active discussion between clinicians and pathologists in situations of persistent doubt
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