ORAL LICHEN PLANE

What is it?

Oral Lichen Planus is a chronic inflammatory disease of the mouth.

It's a potentially malignant disease.

It starts at a point in the mouth and tends to spread through the mouth over the years.

It affects women and men (in a ratio of 1.4 to 1), usually appearing after 40 years of age.

hat are the signs and symptoms?

Stretch marks or white lesions on the oral mucosa (cheeks, tongue, lips, gums).
Tongue loses taste buds in whiter areas.
Erosions, ulcerations or canker sores.
White and red lesions with a cold sore in the middle.
Crises of burning, pain and erosions or ulcerations (thrush).
Difficulty in eating, performing oral hygiene and speaking.
In 20% of cases there are also skin lesions, which are very itchy.

Can it become malignant?

Some forms of oral lichen planus are potentially malignant.

The malignancy rate is 1 to 2%.

Can it be treated?

Yes.

The new guidelines for the treatment of lichen planus are recent, from 2019.

The treatment aims to:

Prevent the crises
Deal with crises
Decrease pain and treat thrush
Treat any infections, for example fungal
Teaching the factors that can induce Oral Lichen Plane crises and ways to avoid these agents

Key Points:

Oral hygiene must be performed with specific products
You should avoid mouthwashes that contain alcohol
Your diet has to be adapted to the disease Lichen Planus Oral
The treatment has a schedule which was updated in 2019 with new scientific evidence

Contact Endoscopy in Oral Lichen Planus

Contact Endoscopy is a non-invasive, painless exam, through which it is possible to identify which cells and microvessels in the mouth are suspicious, as Oral Lichen Planus is a potentially malignant disease.

Contact Endoscopy shows us:

Whether a biopsy is needed or whether it is safe to carry out surveillance alone.
Where to perform the biopsy.
If there is fungal superinfection.

Since Oral Lichen Planus is a potentially malignant disease, it requires long-term follow-up via Oral Medicine consultation, and Contact Endoscopy is a fundamental exam to perform the follow-up for those with this mouth disease.