title: Metastases in small thickness oral squamous-cell carcinoma arising in oral lichen planus.
abstract: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is classified among precancerous conditions, as it is considered a generalized state associated with a significantly increased risk of cancer. The objective of this study was to discuss ultra-structural aspects of OLP that could play a role in enhancing metastatic potential, thus worsening the prognosis in oral squamous-cell carcinoma (OSCC). We report four cases of microinvasive OSCC which have occurred in OLP patients. All of them were stage I tumors, with a mean thickness of 1.75 mm. Recent studies indicate a tumor thickness over 4 mm as predictive of nodal metastases, but within 6 mo, our four patients with OSCC arising from OLP developed lymphnodal metastases. Our findings suggest that OLP-related OSCC may have a worse prognosis because of increased metastatic potential; obviously, further investigation is required, but this preliminary evidence emphasizes that extremely careful management of OLP patients is mandatory, and in cases of OSCC arising from OLP, a more radical treatment is probably required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Odontostomatological and Maxillofacial Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, School of Dentistry, Italy. mdmig@tin.it
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mignogna
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lo Muzio
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lo Russo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fedele
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruoppo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bucci
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors