Salted Fish and Their Impact on Oral Health: A Risk for Lichen Planus

Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease of oral mucosa that decreases a patient's quality of life because of the inconvenience and pain. Etiology OLP is still unknown but related to T-cell mediated disease. OLP is also related to allergic reaction or hypersensitivity. Nitrosamine commonly found in processed foods, like salted fish, contains nitrite and nitrate compound known to cause chronic irritation and inflammation in oral mucosa.

This case report analyzes correlation between OLP and salted fish consumption.

A 41-year-old woman presented with complaints of a painful oral ulcer and redness persisting for six months, with symptoms worsening during eating and speaking. The pain typically intensified following the consumption of salted fish. Intraoral examination revealed multiple reticular white plaques, along with diffuse erosive and ulcerative lesions on the oral mucosa. The patient was diagnosed with reticular, erosive, and ulcerative types of OLP.

Treatment for the ulcers are antiseptic mouthwash and topical corticosteroid, and also multivitamin to increase patient's health.

Nitrosamine and Formalin that contained in salted fish may be the risk factors of OLP. Eliminating risk factors is necessary to increased successful rate in treatment and prevent OLP's recurrency.