Lichen planus as a possible rare cause of an ocular disease

Lichen planus is a relatively common mucocutaneous papulosquamous disorder of unknown etiology that is thought to be immunologically mediated. Ocular involvement of lichen planus (LP) is a rare event, which can lead to irreversible damage to the ocular surface and loss of vision from cicatrizing blepharoconjunctivitis and corneal scarring. Steroids are the first treatment choice. Treatment with topical ciclosporin A is also a possible treatment. We report a case of 79-year-old woman who was treated for long lasting severe inflammatory disease of a ocular surface. It led to blindness of one eye and low vision of the second eye. The diagnosis was made thanks to correlation of biopsy results from oral and ocular surface. The patient was also diagnosed with middle-stage dementia. Negative impact of steroid therapy on mental condition of this patient was considered. On the other hand, dementia could cause worse compliance with recommended treatment regime. Chronic inflammatory disease of ocular surface requires long lasting treatment very often and it is sometimes not as effective as expected. Discovering etiological causes of the disease is a priority for the right treatment. We emphasize also the key role of physical and mental condition in management of ocular surface disease.