Clinicopathological studies of oral lichen planus improving after removal of intraoral dental metals

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Vol. 45; no. 7; pp. 445 - 452
• Main Authors: YAMAMOTO, Yoshiro, KIKUCHI, Kentaro, FUKUNAGA, Syuichi, HAYASHI, Emiko, MORI, Kazumasa, TAKESHIMA, Hiroshi, TATSUTA, Tsuneyasu, YAMAZAKI, Yasuyuki, NAMIKI, Ichiro, NAKANISHI, Tohru, SHIMADA, Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japanese Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 1999
• Subjects: dental metal; histopathological study; oral lichen planus
• ISSN: 0021-5163; 2186-1579
• DOI: 10.5794/jjoms.45.445

A relation between oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral prosthetic metals has been reported because OLP may improve after their removal. However, the criteria for evaluating their involvement in the clinical and histopathological signs of OLP have not been established. We compared the clinical and histological features of 18 cases of OLP that improved after removal of dental metals with those of 18 cases that did not improve clinically after removal. All patients were positive to dental metals on patch testing and had OLP refractory to conventional therapy. Improved cases of OLP were characterized by unilateral involvement of the buccal mucosa, showing a reticular pattern with the formation of erosions and ulcers. Histologically, most cases had remarkable humoral degeneration of the basal cell layer, lymphocytic invasion of the lamina propria, and spongiosis.