Clinical assessment of oral lichen planus based on different scales.
BACKGROUND
Different oral lichen planus (OLP) scoring scales have been developed, though none has received unanimous acceptance from all authors. This study involves the clinical application of two symptom and sign measurement scales for assessing OLP.


METHODS
One hundred patients were diagnosed clinically and confirmed as having OLP by biopsy, according to the WHO criteria. A visual analog scale (VAS) was applied (0-10) along with two semi-quantitative tests for assessing the symptoms and signs.


RESULTS
The Escudier test yielded an overall site score of 3.8 +/- 1.83 (mean +/- SD), with an activity score of 1.6 +/- 2.59 (mean +/- SD), and a total weighted score of 7.4 +/- 4.78. The pain VAS score was 1.9 +/- 2.06. The Malhotra scale (range 1-7) yielded a maximum total score of 2.9 +/- 1.21, corresponding to grade 1. The Spearman correlation coefficient between the Escudier and Malhotra scales was 0.54 - the difference proving statistically significant (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Uniform OLP scoring system measures need to be adopted.
López-Jornet
P
P
Hospital Morales Meseguer, Clínica Odontológica Universitaria, 2 planta Medicina Oral, Murcia, Spain. majornet@um.es
Camacho-Alonso
F
F
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D019226:Oral Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index