New Clinical Approach for Use of Er:YAG Laser in the Surgical Treatment of Oral Lichen Planus: A Report of Two Cases

Abstract

The aim of this clinical report is to demonstrate the efficiency of Er:YAG laser in reducing symptoms and lymphoplasmocytic infiltrate in case of oral lichen planus (OLP). In addition to medical therapy and conventional surgery, laser has been proposed for the treatment of this disease, but currently, use of Er:YAG laser (2940 nm) has not been reported. Two clinical cases of female patients who came to our clinic with lesions in the internal portion of the cheek and in the hard palate mucosa close to the upper right molars, surgically treated by Er:YAG laser, are described. The parameters used were as follows: energy, 80-120 mJ; frequency, 6-15 Hz; non-contact hand piece; spot size diameter, 0.9 mm; pulse duration, 100 μsec (VSP) to 300 μsec (SP) ; fluences, 12.6-18.9 J/cm(2); and air/water spray (ratio: 6/5). In the two patients, the peeling of the lesions was completed with much less discomfort (<25% in visual analogue scale). A very small recurrence was observed in one case (cheeks) after 15 months, and the same protocol was applied successfully. The use of this wavelength offers several advantages including, a good and fast healing process, a very low level of discomfort during and after intervention, and a rapid disappearance of symptoms. Even if this methodology seems to be an interesting new surgical approach in the management of non-erosive OLP, this clinical report has to be considered as a preliminary one because of the limited number of cases. As a consequence, further studies and long-term follow-up will be necessary.