Oral lichen planus and associated comorbidities: An approach to holistic health

Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic inflammatory disorder with involvement of skin, oral and genital mucosa, scalp, and nail appendages. Oral lichen planus (OLP) lesions demonstrate a number of morphologic presentations, persist for a long time with rare self-resolution, and undergo malignant changes. OLP has been associated with numerous systemic connotations such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, thyroid diseases, psychosomatic ailments, chronic liver disease, gastrointestinal diseases, and genetic susceptibility to cancer. The oral health physician should be aware of these systemic associations and should work in close connect with the primary healthcare physicians to rule out the predisposing factors for the associated comorbidities. This article aims to highlight the various systemic associations of OLP and warrants the screening of these ailments in OLP for prevention and effective management.