Oral lichen planus in children: A systematic review

Abstract

Background Oral Lichen Planus is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the oral mucosa. The prevalence in adults ranges between 0.5% and 2%, while in children is reported to be about 0,03%. Clinical features of Oral Lichen Planus could be variable in both adults and children, ranging from painless white hyperkeratotic lesions to painful erythematous atrophic ones. Actually, there are no systematic reviews in the literature on OLP in children, whereby this paper aims to summarize all the pathophysiological aspects and identify all cases described in the literature of Oral Lichen Planus in children, reporting their clinical characteristics. Material and Methods A systematic review of the literature was performed in online databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, EMBASE. In addition, in order to identify reports not otherwise identifiable, an analysis of the gray literature was performed on google scholar and in Open Gray. Results By literature analysis, it emerged that most cases were reported from India. The mean age at time of diagnosis of the disease was 11 years, ranging from 3 to 17 years. The most frequent pattern was the reticular pattern followed by plaque-like, erosive, atrophic, sclerosus, and bullous. The buccal mucosa was the most involved oral site, followed by the tongue, lips and gingiva. Conclusions Although Oral Lichen Planus in children is rare, it may cause oral discomfort and need to be differentiated from other oral white lesions and/or chronic ulcers. Key words: Oral lichen planus, childhood, lichen ruber planus, paediatric lichen planus.

Role of Oral Microbiota Dysbiosis in the Development and Progression of Oral Lichen Planus

“…As reported in the literature, lichen planus affects 0.1-4% of the worldwide population, with most cases occurring among middle-aged people of both sexes (range: 30-60 years). However, some studies have also described this pathological condition in childhood and its association with other oral lesions [4,5]. Although it is considered an autoimmune disease related to the cell-mediated damage of the basal keratinocytes, the exact etiology of lichen planus remains unknown [6].…”