Analysis of Coexistence of Oral and Cutaneous Lesions in 253 Patients with Lichen Planus - Single-center Retrospective Analysis

Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that especially affects the skin, mucous membranes, or both. The aim of the study was to determine the clinical characteristics of patients with LP in the oral cavity and concomitant cutaneous lesions and compare their outcomes with those without cutaneous lesions. 253 records of patients with confirmed diagnosis of oral lichen planus (OLP) were retrospectively analyzed. The following clinical data were obtained from the medical charts: sex, age, clinical presentations of OLP, distributions of the lesions, presence of symptoms, extra oral manifestations of lichen planus, presence of systemic diseases, and treatment provided. The group of patients with cutaneous manifestations was compared for possible clinical differences to those without. Cutaneous lesions were present in 18.2% (46/253) of patients. Significantly more patients with cutaneous lesions had other extra oral manifestations (26.1% versus 1.0%, P<0.00001). Lips were significantly more affected in patients with cutaneous presentation (41.3% versus 16.9%, P=0.00006). Ulcerative OLP was more frequent in patients with cutaneous lesions (23.9% versus 10.6%, P=0.0266). Patients with cutaneous manifestations needed significantly more systemic treatment with systemic steroids (10.9% versus 3.4%, P=0.0466). Patients with cutaneous lesions were more symptomatic and tended to require more treatment than patients with OLP who only had oral involvement.