Efficacy of 0.1% tacrolimus in long-term management of erosive lichen planus

Objectives: This study documented the response of erosive oral lichen planus (OLP) to exclusive treatment with 0.1% topical tacrolimus over a 12-month period or until the patient became unresponsive to therapy. Materials and methods: A retrospective cohort design was used to acquire data on 12 patients with recalcitrant OLP that were prescribed 0.1% tacrolimus. These patients were prescribed 0.1% tacrolimus after failing to respond to conventional corticosteroid therapy. Information about their response to medication initially and on flare ups were included in this study. Results: The sample consisted of nine women and three men. All patients were given 0.1% tacrolimus to be applied 3 times a day. Two patients did not respond to the treatment at all, 4 patients showed partial response to tacrolimus treatment. Six patients showed complete initial response to treatment. Conclusion: 50% of our patients showed a suboptimal response to 0.1% tacrolimus use for erosive OLP, thus, suggesting that in some cases 0.1% tacrolimus may be an ineffective option for managing erosive OLP.