title: Oral lichen planus in childhood: a case series.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although the exact incidence of pediatric oral lichen planus (OLP) is unknown, the oral mucosa seems to be less commonly involved, and the clinical presentation is often atypical. The aim of the study is to present a case series of OLP in childhood.
  
  
  METHODS
  From our database, we retrospectively selected and analyzed the clinical data of OLP patients under the age of 18 where the diagnosis had been confirmed by histopathological analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The case series from our database shows eight patients, four males and four females. The mean (±SD) age at the time of diagnosis of the disease was 13.5 (±2.73) years, ranging in age from 9 to 17. Clinically, a reticular pattern was present in six patients (75%), and the tongue was the most commonly involved oral site (six cases, 75%). We also report the first case of OLP in a 9-year-old girl affected by autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report the largest case series of pediatric OLP published in literature thus far. Differences in the disease between adults and pediatric patients have been detected, but further investigation and a larger case series are needed to establish any detailed differences in clinical outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University Federico II of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cascone
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University Federico II of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Celentano
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University Federico II of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Adamo
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University Federico II of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leuci
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University Federico II of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruoppo
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University Federico II of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mignogna
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005881:Gingiva; D006801:Humans; D007154:Immune System Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D009061:Mouth Mucosa; D016884:Polyendocrinopathies, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014059:Tongue