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Published on: December 31, 2017
A retrospective study of oral lichen planus in paediatric population
Kabita Chatterjee1, Sourav Bhattacharya, Chitrita Gupta Mukherjee
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Buddha Institute of Dental Sciences, Patna, Bihar, India.
Insights
Oral lichen planus (OLP) is rare in children, typically affecting those aged 8-18. The erosive form is most common, primarily on the buccal mucosa, with characteristic histopathological findings.
Area of Science:
- Oral medicine
- Immunodermatology
- Pediatric dentistry
Background:
- Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic immune-mediated condition affecting oral mucosa.
- Cases in the pediatric population are infrequently documented, necessitating further epidemiological investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To retrospectively determine the epidemiological data of OLP in children.
- To explore potential associations between clinical and histopathological features in pediatric OLP patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 22 patients under 18 years old diagnosed with OLP over 14 years.
- Evaluation of clinical characteristics and histopathological features.
- Statistical analysis using SAS software.
Main Results:
- The average age of pediatric OLP patients was 15.18 years, with no significant gender predilection.
- Buccal mucosa was the most common site (50%), and the erosive form was most frequent (63.64%).
- Histopathological findings included parakeratosis (86.36%), acanthosis (63.64%), basal cell degeneration (63.64%), and lymphocytic infiltration (59.09%).
Conclusions:
- Pediatric OLP is rare, typically occurring between 8 and 18 years, with equal gender distribution.
- The erosive form on the buccal mucosa is most prevalent.
- Key histopathological features include parakeratosis, acanthosis, basal cell degeneration, and subepithelial lymphocytic infiltration.
Aim:
Well documented cases of oral lichen planus, a cell mediated immune condition is infrequently reported in paediatric population. This study was undertaken to obtain epidemiological data retrospectively and also to explore the possibility of any association that might exist among the clinical and histopathological features in paediatric patients suffering from oral lichen planus.
Subjects And Methods:
A retrospective study was carried out on 22 patients, younger than 18 years with clinical and histopathological diagnosis of oral lichen planus over a period of 14 years. The clinical characteristics and histopathological features were observed. The statistical analysis of the data was performed using Statistical Analysis Software (SAS), Version 9.1.
Results:
Analysis of data of 22 patients revealed that the average age of patient is 15.18 years with equal male and female predilection. The most common site is buccal mucosa (50%) and most frequent clinical form is erosive (63.64%). Focusing on the histopathological findings, parakeratosis was found in 86.36% of the cases, acanthosis in 63.64% of cases, moderate basal cell degeneration was identified in 63.64% of cases and dense lymphocytic infiltration at juxtaepithelial connective tissue region was found in 59.09% of cases.
Conclusions:
Oral lichen planus in paediatric population is rare and appeared between 8 to 18 years of age. There is no significant gender predominance. The most common clinical form is erosive, manifesting mainly in buccal mucosa. Histopathological findings characteristic of oral lichen planus in paediatric patients include parakeratosis, acanthosis, liquefaction degeneration of basal cells and lymphocytic infiltration in the subepithelial layer.
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