Methylene blue-mediated photodynamic therapy: a possible alternative treatment for oral lichen planus.
OBJECTIVE
In this study, methylene blue-mediated photodynamic therapy (MB-PDT) was used as a possible alternative method for the treatment of oral lichen planus (OLP).


METHODS
Thirteen patients with 26 OLP lesions were enrolled in this study. Patients were instructed to gargle a 5% methylene blue solution in water for 5 minutes. Ten minutes later, irradiation was performed by laser light (lambda = 632 nm, light exposure dose = 120 J/cm(2)). Lesions were evaluated pre and post-operatively and at follow-up sessions by changes in sign and symptom (pain) scores, and size of lesions.


RESULTS
Improvement in sign scores was achieved in 16 lesions. Four keratotic lesions disappeared completely. There was a statistically significant decrease in sign and symptom scores 1 week after treatment and at follow-up sessions up to 12 weeks. Average reduction in size of lesions was 44.3%.


CONCLUSIONS
MB-PDT seems to be an effective alternative treatment for control of OLP. In our opinion, this preliminary result warrant further studies in order to show the efficacy of MB-PDT in control of OLP for a longer period of time.
Aghahosseini
Farzane
F
Oral Medicine Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, TUMS, Tehran, Iran.
Arbabi-Kalati
Fateme
F
Fashtami
Leila Ataie
LA
Djavid
Gholamreza Esmaeeli
GE
Fateh
Mohsen
M
Beitollahi
Jalil Momen
JM
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D008751:Methylene Blue