There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Abstract
Lichen planus (LP) is an inflammatory disease of the stratified squamous epithelia
of unknown etiology. LP affects most frequently the oral mucosa, but it may also involve
other mucosa and the skin. Oral LP (OLP) most frequently affects woman aged between
30 and 60 years. Histopathologic examination typically shows orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis,
basal cell degeneration, and a dense well-defined infiltrate of lymphocytes in the
superficial dermis. OLP lesions may result from the induction of keratinocytes apoptosis
by cytotoxic CD8+ T cells stimulated by a yet unidentified self-antigen on a genetically
predisposed patient. The association of OLP with hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been
more consistently demonstrated in the Mediterranean area. Although HCV RNA and HCV-specific
CD4+ and CD8+ T cells have been retrieved in the mucosal lesions of patients with
chronic HCV infection and OLP, the eventual pathophysiology of HCV in OLP lesions
remains unclear. Available treatments of OLP are not curative, and many have potentially
prominent side effects. The objectives of OLP management should be to prevent and
screen for malignant transformation and alleviate symptoms on the long-term. Avoidance
of potential precipitating drugs, tobacco, alcohol, and local trauma, as well as strict
oral hygiene, is essential. The first-line pharmacologic treatment relies on topical
steroids. Systemic steroids should be limited to the short-term cure of severe refractory
OLP. Life-long clinical follow-up, at least annually, is fundamental.
Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.