Comparative histopathological studies in oral lichen planus.

Area of Science:

• Oral pathology
• Histopathology
• Oncology

Background:

• Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting oral mucosa.
• Understanding OLP's histopathological features is crucial for diagnosis and management.
• Epithelial dysplasia in OLP is a significant concern due to its potential malignant transformation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comparative histological study of oral lichen planus cases from Cuba and Hungary.
• To define specific histopathological characteristics of OLP, focusing on epithelial dysplasia.
• To investigate the relationship between epithelial dysplasia and clinical OLP subtypes.

Main Methods:

• Histological examination of 100 oral lichen planus cases.
• Comparative analysis of samples from Cuban and Hungarian cohorts.
• Evaluation of epithelial dysplasia features, including basaloid cell appearance and loss of polarity.
• Correlation of dysplasia prevalence with clinical OLP types (e.g., atrophic/erosive).

Main Results:

• A prevalence of 11% for dysplastic changes was identified in the studied OLP cases.
• The most frequent dysplastic feature was the presence of multiple basaloid cell layers.
• Loss of basal cell polarity was the second most common finding.
• A significantly higher ratio of dysplasia (25%) was observed in atrophic/erosive OLP subtypes.

Conclusions:

• Histological analysis of oral lichen planus reveals a notable prevalence of epithelial dysplasia.
• The specific features of dysplasia, such as basaloid cell changes and polarity loss, are key indicators.
• Atrophic/erosive OLP variants present a higher risk profile for epithelial dysplasia, warranting closer monitoring.