Symptomatic Management of Oral Lichen Planus

Abstract Oral lichen planus (OLP) is classified into reticular, atrophic, erosive, and bullous types. OLP is chronic, rarely undergoes spontaneous remission. This case report is about a 37-year-old female patient who reported to the department of Oral Medicine and Radiology with the chief complaint of burning sensation while eating food for 6 months. The patient was apparently well 6 months back when she experienced a burning sensation to hot, spicy, and salty food on both sides of the buccal mucosa. There was difficulty in eating and swallowing for 3–4 months with no cutaneous lesion. On intraoral clinical examination, there were interlacing white keratotic striae with erythematous borders, giving a web-like appearance was seen on the right (measuring 3.5 cm × 3 cm approximately) and left (measuring 2.5 cm × 2 cm approximately) buccal mucosa and vestibular region. The lesion was nonscrapable but slightly tender on palpation. Management consisted of triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% for topical application for 3 weeks and capsule lycopene twice daily for 3 weeks. Benzydamine hydrochloride (coolora) mouthwash thrice daily before meals for 10 days, and candid mouth paint for local application thrice daily for 2 weeks. Patient was also advised to avoid stress/spicy food, adopt a healthy lifestyle, and consume a diet rich in antioxidants (i.e., fresh fruits, vegetables, green tea, turmeric, etc.). After 3 3-week recall visits, the patient reported improvement in the burning sensation. Further, a multidisciplinary approach for the management and regular follow-up is needed due to the reported potential of malignant transformation.