Oral Lichen Planus: A Review of Etiopathogenesis, Clinical, Histological and Treatment Aspects

It is a well known fact that oral lichen planus (OLP) is a non infectious disease affecting the oral mucous membrane. It is considered to be an autoimmune disorder mediated mainly by the T-lymphocytes. It affects 1-2% of the general population with maximum prevelance seen among women above the age of 40. WHO considers it to be a potentially malignant disorder and the rate of malignant transformation has been put between 0.5-2%. This article mainly reviews the various pathogenetic mechanisms by which this unique disorder occurs along with the clinical, histopathological and treatment aspects.