clobetasol and Mouth-Neoplasms

To evaluate disease dynamics, treatment results, and frequency of malignant transformation. Ten-year single center retrospective study. The study included 171 patients, 28-99 years old. Follow-up was 1-16 years. 49.5% exhibited changes in clinical presentation, with 19% yearly increase of probability for type shift. Index of extent (number of oral locations) showed a mean 40% decrease and 94.1% reported improvement. There were significant differences between treated and untreated patients (P=0.012). Patients with or without systemic diseases had identical treatment requirements for oral lesions. The prevalence of SCC was 5.8%. Oral lichen planus constantly changes presentation and extent of involvement. The effect of systemic diseases was insignificant in the present study. There is a clear value for treatment to reduce the extent of lesions. The results indicate that all clinical forms of the disease need to be equally followed since the clinical presentation typically changes over time, while malignant transformation can occur in all forms.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Clobetasol; Dexamethasone; Female; Humans; Lichen Planus, Oral; Male; Middle Aged; Mouth Neoplasms; Precancerous Conditions; Prednisone; Prevalence; Retrospective Studies; Tacrolimus; Tretinoin; Triamcinolone

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic mucosal disorder of unclear etiology. The mainstay of therapy is topical use of steroids but other immuno-modulating therapies have also been tried. One such example is topical application of tacrolimus. Tacrolimus was in 2000 approved for treatment of atopic dermatitis, but in 2005 a boxed warning was included because of a potential risk of cancer development and for lack of long-term studies of the safety of the drug. The present study describes a patient who in 2003 was diagnosed with OLP and where treatment has included an intermittent use of tacrolimus. Five years after diagnosis, the patient developed a squamous cell carcinoma in the region where tacrolimus had been applied. The possible relationship between the use of tacrolimus and cancer development and rationale to include tacrolimus in OLP treatment is discussed.

Topics: Administration, Buccal; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Clobetasol; Follow-Up Studies; Glucocorticoids; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents; Lichen Planus, Oral; Male; Middle Aged; Mouth Neoplasms; Tacrolimus; Triamcinolone Acetonide

Oral lichen planus, or OLP, is a common mucocutaneous immunological disease. The objective of this study was to describe the patient profile, disease progression and treatment responses.. The authors conducted a retrospective, descriptive study using information from patient records at a tertiary referral center. The study included 229 patients with OLP who were seen in the oral medicine clinic at the University of California, San Francisco, between September 1996 and August 2000, for the first time or for a follow-up visit. Signs and symptoms at various clinic visits were quantified. Responses to treatment and disease progression were determined by comparing scores with baseline scores.. The mean age at onset of the disease was 55 years, and 154 (67 percent) of the patients were female. Symptoms generally correlated directly with the severity of OLP forms, which ranged from reticular to erosive. Corticosteroids were effective in reducing symptoms, healing ulcers and reducing erythema. At last follow-up, 65 percent of the patients had the same type of OLP seen initially or the disease had progressed to a more severe type, while 35 percent of patients had less-severe forms than that seen at the initial visit. Four patients (1.7 percent) developed oral squamous-cell carcinoma during the follow-up period.. OLP is a chronic disease with no known cure. Symptoms can improve with corticosteroids; however, the lack of long-term (that is, lifetime) treatment compliance and the adverse side effects of the drugs limit optimal results.. Patients with OLP should be treated if symptoms are significant. Follow-up--including supervision of medication use and monitoring of side effects, as well as periodic examinations for possible malignant transformation--is necessary.

Topics: Administration, Topical; Adult; Aged; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Azathioprine; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Chronic Disease; Clobetasol; Disease Progression; Female; Fluocinonide; Follow-Up Studies; Glucocorticoids; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents; Lichen Planus, Oral; Male; Middle Aged; Mouth Neoplasms; Prednisone; Retrospective Studies; Statistics, Nonparametric; Treatment Outcome