Oral lichen planus (OLP) which belongs to the spectrum of LP, is a commonly encountered
oral mucosal problem among patients seeking treatment in the Oral Medicine clinic. Its counterpart, oral
lichenoid reaction (OLR), which resembled OLP clinically and microscopically, is often encountered in
these patients as well. Although the various clinical forms of OLP/OLR are well-recognized, the disease
pattern in regards to lesion-active and lesion-free periods in these patients remains poorly characterized.
Thus the aim of this study was to determine the clinical and demographic profile of those patients with
active OLP/OLR lesions and compare them with those patients who are clinically lesion-free.
Materials and methods: The study subjects comprised 20 patients who attended the Oral Medicine
Clinic at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya for follow-up appointments/management. They
were interviewed according to a pre-designed questionnaire, and clinical examination was carried out. All
these were conducted under the supervision of Oral Medicine specialists. OLP was diagnosed according
to the internationally accepted criteria.
Results: The cohort consisted of predominantly female (n=14; 70%) and Chinese (n=9; 45%) patients,
with an overall age range of 26-79 years (median, 56 years). Fifteen (75%) patients presented with
active OLP/OLR lesions and the remaining 5 (25%) were lesion-free. The lesion-active group comprised
3 (15%) males and 12 (60%) females whereas the lesion-free had 3 (15%) males and 2 (10%) females.
Reticular LP was the most common type (n=21/35; 60%) and the gingiva was the most prevalent site
(n=21/46; 45.65%). Social habits, medical histories and medications were not significantly different
between lesion-active and lesion-free OLP patients.
Conclusions: Findings suggest that demographic parameters, lifestyle and systemic diseases do not
appear to influence the disease pattern and lesion severity in OLP.