title: Efficacy of Elaeagnus angustifolia Topical Gel in the Treatment of Symptomatic Oral Lichen Planus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine efficacy of 19% Elaeagnus angustifolia (EA) topical gel in the treatment of symptomatic oral lichen planus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with symptomatic oral lichen planus referring to the Department of Oral Medicine, Fac-ulty of Dentistry at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences were asked to participate in the study. Twenty-eight pa-tients who were histopathologically diagnosed with lichen planus were divided into two groups (15 in the case and 13 in the control groups). The subjects were randomly assigned to either topical gel of EA or placebo in a double-blind manner. They were then instructed to apply the medication on dried lesions three times daily. Pain and size of the lesions were evaluated after 2 weeks. Data were analyzed by SPSS 12.0 software, using t-test, paired t-test, Fisher's exact test and chi-square test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-eight patients (m/f: 7/21) with symptomatic oral lichen planus participated in the study. Fifteen patients (m/f: 4/11) received E A gel and 13 patients (m/f: 3/10) received placebo. There was a 75% decrease in pain (33.3% in the case and 7.7% in the control groups), and a decrease of 50% in size (33.3% in the case group) and 75% only in 7.6% of the case group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that 19% EA gel is efficient in the treatment of symptomatic oral lichen planus, with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, as well.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Jamileh
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beigom Taheri
authors.forename: Fahimeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Anbari
authors.forename: Ziba
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Maleki
authors.forename: Shiva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boostani
authors.forename: Afshin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zarghi
authors.forename: Firoz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pouralibaba