Lichen planus, a rare mucocutaneous disease affecting around 0.1-4.0% of the population [1], has been associated with a cell-mediated immunological dysfunction. It commonly affects middle-aged adults and it is more frequently observed in women than in men [2]. LP mainly affects oral mucosa, and skin involvement is rare [3]. Mucosal lesions are usually multiple and have a bilateral, symmetrical manifestation. Mucosal lesions frequently appear on the tongue, gingiva, and mucobuccal fold [4]. Nearly half of the patients, 47.6%, has multiple sites of involvement [5,6].A labial site and gum involvement are rare. The following clinical forms of LP have been identified: papular, reticular, ulcerative, plaque and atrophic [5,7]. Oral biopsy with a histopathological evaluation is necessary to validate the clinical diagnosis of LP. Most importantly, LP can develop into an oral squamous cell carcinoma [8,9]. There are several long-term prospective studies that show a malignant transformation rate of 4.0% [10,11].The present case report presents a case about a 23-year-old patient with an LP lesion that developed into a squamous cell carcinoma on a labial site. Different subject-related pathological, diagnostic and treatment aspects will be discussed.
Case Report
AbstractLichen planus (LP) having a potential for malignant transformation is a rare mucocutaneous disease most frequently observed in middle-aged women than in men. LP is uncommon in young patients and the involvement of a labial site and desquamative gingivitis are also rare. LP mainly affects oral mucosa, and skin involvement is rare. Mucosal lesions are usually multiple and have a bilateral, symmetrical manifestation. Mucosal lesions frequently appear on the tongue, gingiva, and mucobuccal fold. Nearly half of the patients has multiple sites of involvement. Oral biopsy with a histopathological evaluation is necessary to validate the clinical diagnosis of LP. Malignant transformation is uncommon for young patients with a short history of LP and without the presence of other co-morbidities. The aim of the present report was to present a 23-year-old patient with an LP lesion which developed into a squamous cell carcinoma on a facial labial site. Different subject-related pathological, diagnostic and treatment aspects are discussed (Dent. Med. Probl. 2015, 52, 4, 512-515).