Prevalence of oral lichen planus in patients with hypothyroidism versus non-hypothyroidism – A case control study of 1000 cases

BACKGROUND: The oral cavity is a unique environment where systemic maladies may be amplified by the oral mucosa. Oral diseases are usually local, but may also be the sign of systemic disease. Oral lesions are mostly one of the first indications of a systemic problem. Lichen planus (LP) is an inflammatory disease that involves the skin and mucous membrane. It is one of the most common oral diseases that manifest itself in the oral cavity. The exact cause of oral lichen planus (OLP) is unknown, but the immunologic system plays a leading role in the pathogenesis. It is well documented that OLP represents a cell-mediated immune response. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population was drawn from the patients attending the outpatient Department of General Medicine and Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology with a total of 1000 subjects, out of which 500 subjects were clinically diagnosed with hypothyroidism and 500 subjects were without the history of hypothyroidism. The data collected was compiled and analysed to obtain the result. A Chi-square test was used to compare the categorical variables and the analysis was carried out on SPSS 16.0 version. RESULTS: The study revealed an increased prevalence of OLP in hypothyroidism. Cases clearly had a predilection of 2.37 times more tendency to develop OLP as compared to the control. CONCLUSION: To conclude, it seems that OLP was more prevalent in hypothyroid individuals, especially in females in the third and fourth decades of life.