[Clinical considerations and statistical analysis on 100 patients with oral lichen planus]

Oral Lichen planus (OLP) is an inflammatory disease, characterized by the presence of polygonal papules which can confluence and affect any part of the oral mucosa, and occurring in many different forms. The clinical picture of the popular form may be characterized exclusively by asymptomatic whitish striae, while the erosive form is extremely painful and disabling. The aim of this research was to evaluate the behavior of the reticular and erosive form of OLP taking into consideration the following three pathologies: hepatitis B, C and diabetes.

The data of 100 patients affected by OLP (43 males and 57 females) where analyzed, the patients have been observed at the G. Eastman hospital in Rome, Italy in the period between November 1995 and May 1998. Group I presented papular lesions, while group II presented atrophic-erosive lesions with or without the presence of papular lesions.

A comparative analysis between the two groups, performed with chi 2 corrected by the Yates formula and if necessary followed by the Fisher test, demonstrated a higher average age and a larger extension of the oral lesions for group II (p < 0.05). The presence of viral hepatitis B was 6% overall, its prevalence in group II, 5% (p > 0.05); the presence of viral hepatitis C was 13% overall, its prevalence in group II 11%; the presence of diabetes was 10% overall, its prevalence in group II 7%. The buccal mucosa was the most frequently affected area in both groups.

The results obtained confirm the possibility of an association between hepatitis and OLP, but a statistically significant relationship between hepatitis and OLP erosive type, has not been observed.