Oral lichen planus: a retrospective study of 690 British patients

• Published in: Oral diseases Vol. 12; no. 5; pp. 463 - 468
• Main Authors: Ingafou, M, Leao, JC, Porter, SR, Scully, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2006
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Age of Onset; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Chi-Square Distribution; Dentistry; Ethnic Groups; Female; Humans; lichen planus; Lichen Planus, Oral - complications; Lichen Planus, Oral - epidemiology; Lichen Planus, Oral - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; Mouth Neoplasms - etiology; oral; Retrospective Studies; Sex Distribution; Socioeconomic Factors; United Kingdom - epidemiology
• ISSN: 1354-523X; 1601-0825
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-0825.2005.01221.x

Objective:  This is the largest UK patient group with oral lichen planus (OLP) to be studied in terms of the demographic and clinical characteristics. Material and methods:  Data were taken from the medical records of 690 consecutive patients referred to Oral Medicine subsequently found to have clinical, and usually histopathological confirmatory features of OLP. Over two‐thirds (68.7%) of the patients were Caucasians. Results:  Eighty‐two per cent of the patients had been referred to a specialist Oral Medicine service by general dental practitioners, 62% of the patients being referred as a consequence of oral mucosal and/or gingival pain. Reticular OLP was the most common intra‐oral presentation, but 60% of such lesions were accompanied by other clinical types of OLP. 95% of lesions were bilateral. About 13% of patients reported symptoms or signs, or had a known history of lichen planus or possible lichen planus affecting non‐oral epithelia. In only 13% of patients did all signs and symptoms of OLP resolve within 12–246 months (median 35 months). A malignant transformation rate of 1.9% was observed in the present group. Conclusion:  Oral lichen planus in UK persons almost always gives rise to bilateral reticular OLP, rarely resolves spontaneously, and has a low rate of malignant transformation.