Efficacy of aloe vera versus triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% in the management of oral lichen planus: a systematic review

PurposeOral Lichen Planus is a chronic immune-mediated mucosal disorder in which symptom control and lesion suppression remain the primary therapeutic goals. This review aimed to evaluate whether Aloe vera can effectively reduce the clinical manifestations of oral lichen planus by comparing its efficacy, safety, and impact on quality of life with those of Triamcinolone Acetonide. The review also sought to investigate the potential of Aloe vera as a safe and effective alternative to corticosteroids in the management of oral lichen planus.Materials and MethodsPubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were systematically searched to identify clinical trials comparing Aloe vera with 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide for the management of oral lichen planus. A total of five clinical trials met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. This review was registered in PROSPERO under the registration ID CRD420251166690.ResultsAloe vera demonstrated significant improvement in pain scores, burning sensation, and lesion severity in patients with oral lichen planus. Compared with 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide, Aloe vera showed comparable clinical efficacy in randomized clinical trials and greater improvement in functional symptoms in non-randomized comparative studies, suggesting enhanced day-to-day comfort during eating, speaking, and oral hygiene practices. No serious adverse effects were reported with Aloe vera, whereas prolonged corticosteroid therapy is known to be associated with potential adverse effects.ConclusionAloe vera appears to be an effective and well-tolerated topical therapy for oral lichen planus, providing clinical and symptomatic improvement comparable to that achieved with 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide, while offering additional advantages in terms of safety and indirect symptom relief. It may therefore represent a suitable alternative for patients requiring longterm or steroid-sparing therapy. Nevertheless, larger, methodologically rigorous randomized controlled trials using standardized Aloe vera formulations and longer follow-up periods are needed to strengthen the certainty of the evidence and to determine the long-term durability of its therapeutic effects.