Clinical Features of Oral Lichen Planus: A Pictorial and Systematic Review

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an inflammatory mucocutaneous relapsing and remitting condition that includes a spectrum of oral clinical manifestations including mild painless white lesions to painful erosions and ulcers. The complexity of clinical presentation of OLP lesions often represents a challenge for both young and experienced otolaryngologists and dental practitioners. Therefore, the aim of the present article was to review the literature regarding the main clinical features of OLP. A literature search was conducted in four electronic databases (Medline / PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science) using the combination of the terms "oral lichen planus" AND "symptoms" OR "signs" OR "clinical". The initial search resulted in 432 articles. After screening the duplicates and following the application of exclusion criteria, the full texts of 18 articles were included in the review. A thorough knowledge of clinical patterns and symptoms of OLP is crucial for any otolaryngologist and dental practitioner. An early diagnosis and a long term follow up seem to be the best clinical approach to manage such subtle and chronic condition.