How common is oral lichen planus?
METHODS
Medline and ISI Web of Science were searched, along with references of identified papers.


METHODS
Studies reporting the prevalence or incidence of oral lichen planus (OLP) were included.


METHODS
Papers were examined for five criteria: use of a clinic- or population-based study; adequate demographic description (by sex and age group) of the population; adequate demographic description of the sample (if the population was sampled); adequate demographic description of the OLP cases identified; and histological confirmation of the clinical diagnosis.


RESULTS
Forty-five relevant papers were identified, of which 21 were clinic-based and 24 were population studies. All but one of the population studies was deficient. The one remaining study, while having some defects, was probably of sufficient quality to make its findings useful. An overall age-standardised prevalence of 1.27% (0.96% in men and 1.57% in women) can be calculated from this study.


CONCLUSIONS
Only one of the studies identified for the review contained sufficient detail about its methods and of its findings to enable an estimate of population prevalence to be calculated. This did not distinguish between OLP and lichenoid reactions, however. Further, well-designed, studies with using standardised methods and criteria, are required in a number of different populations.
Carrozzo
Marco
M
Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dental Sciences, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.