Oral lichen planus: case series and experience in a tertiary dermatology service in Brazil

Abstract

BackgroundLichen planus is an inflammatory disease that can affect both the skin and mucous membranes, including the oral mucosa. There is very little original Brazilian dermatology literature about oral lichen planus. ObjectiveTo describe the clinical, pathological, and treatment data of 201 patients diagnosed with oral lichen planus followed at the Stomatology Outpatient Clinic of Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade de São Paulo, from 2003 to 2021. MethodThe patients demographic profile, the morpho-topographic features of the lesions, the treatment employed, and the possible presence of squamous cell carcinoma were analyzed. ResultsThe disease was more common in women over 50 years of age, tending to be chronic, with a large number of cases showing cicatricial sequelae in the mucosa. Topical treatment with potent corticosteroids was shown to be effective in the vast majority of cases. Squamous cell carcinoma in oral lichen planus cicatricial sequelae was observed in eight cases. Study limitationsRetrospective study of medical records, with gaps regarding the filling out of data; unequal observation time among the studied cases. ConclusionsThis is the largest Brazilian dermatology series on oral lichen planus. The response to topical corticoid therapy was excellent in the vast majority of cases. The high prevalence of atrophic lesions, demonstrating the chronicity and tissue destruction potential of this disease, may explain the large number of cases of squamous cell carcinoma.