title: A clinical trial of PUVA treatment in oral lichen planus.
abstract: Seventeen patients with histologically confirmed oral lichen planus (LP) unresponsive to previous treatments were enrolled in a study on the feasibility of photochemotherapy in the treatment of oral LP. An Espe Uviolite apparatus originally designed for irradiation of light-cured dental composite fillings was used as the source of radiation. The wavelength range of the apparatus was 320-400 (UVA) nm. Two hours before irradiation, 8-methoxy-psoralen (0.6 mg/kg) was administered orally, treatments being given at intervals of 2-3 days. Subjective symptoms disappeared totally in 13 of 17 patients at a mean cumulative dose of 6.1 J/cm2. Two months after treatment with a mean total dose of 11.6 J/cm2, 12 of the 17 lesions had markedly improved. After 12-24 months of follow-up, complete clinical remission was found in 5 of the 17 patients, 7 patients were in partial remission and 5 remained only slightly improved. We conclude that PUVA treatment may be useful for treating recalcitrant oral LP but, until more extensive studies are performed, it must be considered as experimental.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lehtinen
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Happonen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuusilehto
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jansén
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008010:Lichen Planus / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011701:PUVA Therapy