[Malignant turn of oral planus in three new cases]

The possible malignant potential of oral lichen planus (OLP) is still controversial. We present three new oral lichen planus (OLP) patients who developed oral squamous-cell carcinoma (OSCC). In all cases, were analyzed variables like sex, age, clinical type, localization, extension, follow-up study and treatment, moreover were considered the patient's habits, localization, stage and treatment of cancer. The average age was 59 years and both of them were non smoker or with no alcohol habits. The follow-up period was greater than two years and the malignant lesion developed after mean of nine years, after the diagnosis of OLP had been established. Oral squamous-cell carcinoma (OSCC) arose on lesions previously diagnosed clinically and histologically as atrophic and erosive oral lichen planus in two of our patients and on a plaque lesion LP in a patient. All of them had been using topical corticoids before the cancer was diagnosed. The appearance of new cases of OLP malignization framed inside the established approaches, suggests the realization of new researches in order to determine the factors involved in this process.