Management of oral lichen planus

ABSTRACT

Oral lichen planus [OLP] is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by relapses and remissions. There is currently no cure for OLP. Treatment is aimed primarily at reducing the length and severity of symptomatic outbreaks. Topical steroids are the first-choice agent for the treatment of symptomatic, active OLP. Other topical agents that have been used in cases resistant to topical steroids include retinoids, cyclosporine, and tacrolimus. Oral and topical psoralen with a low dose of UVA is effective in treating OLP of various forms, but it seems to have too many side effects. Topical application of psoralen is promising, but IS still at experimental stage. The treatment of symptomatic OLP, especially the erosive variant, represents a perplexing therapeutic challenge. Despite numerous existing remedies, there are many treatment failures