Combined Laser-Corticosteroid Therapy For Refractory Oral Lichen Planus

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a prevalent oral mucosal disease with high recurrence rates. Current first-line treatment relies on topical corticosteroids, which may induce drug resistance and adverse effects. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) demonstrates analgesic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and wound-healing properties, yet its short-term efficacy remains inferior to corticosteroids. We applied LLLT to a patient with steroid-refractory OLP, achieving complete lesion resolution within 4 weeks and sustained remission over six months of follow-up, providing a novel physical therapy reference for OLP management. A 58-year-old male patient presented with recurrent erosions on the right tongue for one year, which were clinically diagnosed as OLP. Despite two months of topical triamcinolone acetonide ointment therapy, the lesions remained unhealed. Subsequently, LLLT was administered twice weekly alongside continued medication. Complete re-epithelialization was achieved within 4 weeks, with no recurrence at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Both pharmacotherapy and laser therapy alone have inherent limitations in managing OLP. Long-term corticosteroid use is associated with local and systemic side effects, while LLLT alone often exhibits suboptimal short-term wound healing. In this case, combined pharmacological and LLLT intervention demonstrated synergistic efficacy, achieving complete lesion resolution with sustained remission. However, standardized LLLT protocols require further investigation to optimize therapeutic outcomes. Combining LLLT with corticosteroids achieved rapid healing and sustained remission in drug-resistant OLP, suggesting a safe physical-pharmacological strategy worthy of further study.