PPD test in patients with oral lichen planus before oral corticosteroid therapy

Abstract

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic mucocautaneous inflammatory disease which involves 2-4 % of the population. The large number of agents used in the management of the disease reflects the inadequacy of any agent to control the symptoms in all patients. However, the mainstay of treatment remains corticosteroids. Systemic treatment may be accompanied with side effects. Activation of latent tuberculosis could be seen after systemic corticosteroid therapy. The aim of this study was evaluation the results of tuberculin skin test (PPD) and the OLP patients candidates of systemic corticosteroid therapy. Methods & Materials:In a descriptive study, 11 patients with histopathologically diagnosed erosive or bullous OLP who were candidates of treatment with the systemic corticosteroids were recruited in Tabriz Faculty of dentistry during a 12-month period. Before treatment, the PPD test was performed in all patients and an induration diameter of at least 5 mm was considered as a E?positive test result. Presence of any condition affecting the result of the PPD test was considered as an exclusion criteria. Results: Eleven patients, 10 females and 1 male with a mean age of 43.3 (25-56) years enrolled on this study. The patients were 6 cases without induration, 1 case with induration of 2.5 mm, 1 case with induration of 12 mm, 1 case with induration of 15 mm, 1 case with induration of 16 mm and 1 case with induration of 20 mm Accordingly, the PPD test result was considered E?positive in 4 (36.4%) patients. These four cases were two female patients aged 48 years old, one female aged 45 years and another female aged 50 years. Discussion and Conclusion: According to our results, 36.4% of the patients with OLP candidates of systemic corticosteroid therapy have a positive PPD test result. So, It 's better that all similan patients would be tested befor systemic treatment by the PPD.