2 Historical Overview

Abstract

Lichen planus is a chronic systemic disease of established immune-mediated pathogenesis. [1] It most commonly, protractedly and persistently, involves the mucosa of the oral cavity, but it can involve other sites, namely the skin, the scalp (with inflammation around and affecting the hair follicles) resulting in alopecia), the nails as well as the genital area the vulval and vaginal mucosa, and the glans penis. Other sites of involvement that are far less frequently described include the oesophagus and conjunctiva. There are seven recognized oral presentations of lichen planus: (1) reticular, (2) papular, and (3) plaque-form and the (4) atrophic, (5) ulcerative (erosive) and rare (6) vesiculo-bullous form [2] and (7) desquama‐ tive gingivitis, this latter term is a clinical descriptor, used to describe inflammation, with a mix of erythema, erosion and/or ulceration of the gingival tissues and the immediately adjacent alveolar mucosa, not incited by the presence of dental bacterial plaque. These latter four forms of OLP can be associated with significant discomfort requiring either topical and/or systemic immunosuppressive therapy.