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Updated: May 2, 2026

Author Spotlight: Unlocking the Mysteries of Oral Potential Malignancies
Published on: August 11, 2023
Histologic lichenoid features in oral dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma
Sarah G Fitzpatrick1, Kord S Honda2, Abdus Sattar3
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Objective:
This study describes the occurrence of histopathologic characteristics of oral lichenoid mucositis in epithelial dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma.
Study Design:
This retrospective review examined 352 histologic specimens of group 1 (mild to moderate dysplasia), group 2 (severe dysplasia or carcinoma in situ), and group 3 (squamous cell carcinoma) for correlation between 5 histologic characteristics frequently found in oral lichen planus and grade, age, gender, and oral subsite.
Results:
In this sample, 29% of all cases exhibited 3 or more lichenoid features. Lichenoid features were significantly more frequent in group 1 over group 2 lesions for cases meeting a minimum lichenoid threshold (P = .001). No statistically significant patterns were noted for age or gender. The buccal mucosa was significantly overrepresented (P = .039) and the floor of the mouth was significantly underrepresented (P = .049) in regard to lichenoid feature frequency.
Conclusions:
This study confirms the frequent correlation of lichenoid characteristics in oral premalignant and malignant lesions.
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