Oral lichen planus: A retrospective study of 110 Brazilian patients

The clinical records were analyzed and data such as gender, age, race, clinical presentation of OLP, site affected, presence of symptoms and extraoral manifestations of the disease, smoking habit, and consumption of alcoholic beverages were obtained. Among the 1822 records of patients with oral mucosal lesions, OLP was identified in 6.03%. Of these, 76.36% were females, with a mean age of 54 years, and 85% were whites. The reticular form was the most frequent (81.81%). Extraoral lesions were observed in 32.72% of the patients and painful symptoms were reported by 50.90%. The cheek mucosa was the site most affected (92.72%) and multiple oral lesions were observed in 77.27% of the patients. Among patients with OLP, 18.18% reported a smoking habit and 29.09% the consumption of alcoholic beverages.This retrospective study showed a relatively high prevalence of OLP in the population studied, with a predominance of the disease among middle-aged white women and bilateral involvement of the cheek mucosa. Reticular lesions were the most frequent, followed by the erosive form which is mainly associated with painful symptoms. No relationship with tobacco or alcohol consumption was observed.Lichen planus is a chronic autoimmune disease that involves a type IV hypersensitivity reaction to antigen variations observed in the mucosal lining and skin [1-3]. The estimated prevalence of the disease in the general population is 2% [1]. Fifty percent of patients with skin lesions also manifest oral mucosal lesions, and 25% of patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) present only oral lesions [3,4].OLP shows a predominance among females and mainly affects adult patients between their fifth and sixth decade of life [4-7]. According to Xue et al (2005) [4], 25.8% of patients with the disease are smokers and 24% consume alcoholic beverages. The most frequently involved oral sites include the mucosa of the cheek, tongue and gingiva. The mucosa of the palate and floor of the mouth is rarely aff