Oral lichen planus clinical characteristics in Italian patients: a retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND: Oral lichen Planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease involving skin and mucous membranes. Its etiology is still uncertain whilst an autoimmune mechanism is known to be implicated. OLP is commonly considered a geriatric disease and gender differences in prevalence are clear, whereby females are generally more frequently affected than males more often during the 5th and 6th decades of life. Lesions are symmetrical and bilateral and the buccal mucosa is frequently involved. The risk of malignant transformation is extremely low. This study aims to describe both the clinical characteristics and the prevalence of OLP among a group of patients from Southern Italy. The results of the present study were compared to analogous retrospective studies. METHODS: Eighty-seven (31 man and 56 woman) cases of OLP were retrospectively reviewed and demographic and clinical data were collected. Data about OLP as clinical forms, oral and extraoral sites involved and Visual Analogue Scale were also recorded. RESULTS: The average age of OLP onset was 59.2 years. The most common clinical presentation was the hyperkeratosic type. Symptomatic OLP was noted in 26.8 % of the patiens. The most frequently affected oral sites were buccal mucosa, tongue, gums. The most frequently associated systemic diseases were diabetes, hypertension, C hepatitis and thyroiditis. Only one patient developed a malignant transformation (1.2 %). CONCLUSIONS: Previous retrospective studies report data partially comparable with our results. Different geographic area, number of enrolled patients and OLP classification criteria may justify the observed differences.