Oral lichen planus: REU scoring system correlates with pain.
OBJECTIVE
The objectives of this study were to correlate a semiquantitative scoring system for oral lichen planus (OLP) with pain before versus after treatment and to analyze sites of involvement and candidal status of patients in a retrospective study.


METHODS
Reticulation/keratosis, erythema, and ulceration (REU) scores and numerical rating scale (NRS) for pain were used. Correlation was tested using Spearman rank correlation, and the change in REU and NRS scores using the paired t test.


RESULTS
One hundred fifteen patients were evaluable with 55 follow-up visits. Pain showed positive correlation with the total weighted score (r = .40), erythema (r = .35), ulceration (r = .31), and reticulation scores (r = .29), all at P < .005. There was improvement in REU and NRS scores before versus after treatment (P < .0001). The internal consistency reliability analysis yielded good reliability with Cronbach coefficient alpha of 0.70. The ventral tongue, floor of mouth, and soft palate were never the only sites affected. Candidal carriage was present in 24% of cases but candidiasis developed in only 10% of carriers.


CONCLUSIONS
The REU system is easy to use, correlates with an NRS for pain, and reliably reflects improvement attributable to treatment. Ventral tongue, floor of mouth, and soft palate were sites of OLP only if other sites were involved and candidiasis did not always develop in patients who were carriers.
Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. dentopark@snu.ac.kr
Hee-Kyung
HK
Park
Shelley
S
Hurwitz
Sook-Bin
SB
Woo
D001706:Biopsy; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index