Cutaneous and Mucosal Lichen Planus: A Comprehensive Review of Clinical Subtypes, Risk Factors, Diagnosis, and Prognosis

January 2014 in “ The Scientific World Journal ”

Farzam Gorouhi, Parastoo Davari, Nasim Fazel

TLDR Lichen Planus is a less common condition affecting skin and mucous membranes, with various types and associated risk factors, challenging to diagnose, significantly impacts life quality, and may have a risk of cancerous changes in oral lesions.

The 2014 review article on Lichen Planus (LP) provides an extensive examination of the disorder, which affects the skin and mucous membranes and has a prevalence of less than 5%. LP presents in various clinical subtypes, with some forms like esophageal or ophthalmological LP being underdiagnosed. The disease is T-cell mediated with an unknown antigen and is associated with factors such as stress, hepatitis C virus, and possibly human papillomavirus in oral LP. Diagnosis is challenging due to diverse presentations and is confirmed by biopsy and histopathology, with direct immunofluorescence aiding differentiation from similar conditions. LP's impact on quality of life is significant, especially with hypertrophic and erosive oral subtypes. The prognosis for cutaneous LP is generally good, but erosive oral LP tends to be chronic. The review highlights the importance of accurate diagnosis and management and notes the debated potential for malignant transformation of oral LP lesions into squamous cell carcinoma.

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