An Etiological, Clinical and Histological Study of Oral Lichen Planus with Comparative Evaluation between Various Therapies

Oral lichen planus to oral lichenoid lesions: Evolution or revolution

“…OLP affects 0.5–2% of the population. [ 2 3 4 5 9 13 15 ] However, the figure depends on the population studied. [ 2 3 4 5 7 ] The prevalence of OLP in the general population ranges between 0.5% in a selected Japanese population, 1.9% in the Swedish population and 2.6% in the Indian population.…”

“…[ 2 3 15 16 ] Women are affected more (twice as) commonly than men. [ 1 3 4 5 8 9 10 13 15 16 17 ] OLP etiopathogenesis is complex and presumably dependent on the interaction of different factors. [ 1 ] Several cell types, proteins of the extracellular matrix and chemokines, contribute to the onset of the OLP through the activation of different pathways.…”

“…[ 1 17 ] The presence of cells that involve migration and activation of T-cells and killing of keratinocytes produce an antigen-specific cell-mediated immune response, however, the performance of matrix metalloproteinases, chemokines and mast cell are responsible for a nonspecific immune response. [ 1 2 5 9 17 ] However, OLP appears to be a T-cell-mediated auto immune disease. [ 2 4 7 16 17 18 ] Evidence points out that the disease is an immunological process triggered by an antigen that alters the basal keratinocytes of the oral mucosa making them susceptible to cell immune response.…”

“…One believes that different external agents, especially virus and trauma and internal agents, like stress and the heat shock protein (HSP) antigen expression, can trigger OLP. [ 1 3 4 9 ] OLP also develops in sites of trauma (Koebner phenomenon) and can be exacerbated by mechanical factors including biting/chewing habits, dental procedures and rubbing of malpositioned or ill-fitting dental appliances (i.e., dentures, partials and mouth guards). Heat and irritants from tobacco smoking may also aggravate lesions.…”

“…symbiotic algae and fungi growing on rocks). [ 2 8 9 10 ] Pinkus published the first microscopic description of lichenoid reactions in 1973. [ 8 ] The term oral lichenoid lesion (OLL) was proposed by Finne et al in 1982.…”