Oral lichen planus among 4277 patients from Gizan, Saudi Arabia

This paper reports on the prevalence of oral lichen planus among 4277 Saudi patients, aged 18-73 yr, seen in the dental department of King Fahd Central Hospital, Gizan, Saudi Arabia, between 1982 and 1987, 63% of the patients were males. Oral mucosal lesions consistent with lichen planus were identified both clinically and histologically in 72 patients (40 males and 32 females). The average age of the affected group was 49 yr. No correlation was evident between lichen planus and tobacco habits in this study, nor was there any association with diabetes or hypertension. The average period of follow-up was 3.2 yr, during which four cases developed malignant transformation of the oral lesions. The prevalence of oral lichen planus in this study was 1.7%, which is higher than the prevalence figures reported earlier for the population of Saudi Arabia.