Etiology, clinical manifestations, and oral microbiota in oral lichen planus: A review of the scientific literature

Abstract

Treatment of lichen planus of the oral mucosa remains one of the most complex and urgent problems in dermatovenerology and dentistry. In the article, the authors present an analysis of current scientific studies on various aspects of lichen planus of the oral mucosa, including its etiology and prevalence, clinical manifestations, as well as the potential risk of malignant transformation and the microbiota of the oral cavity in patients with this pathology. Potential factors influencing the development of the disease and the possible impact of changes in the microbiota on the clinical course of lichen planus of the oral mucosa are considered. To date, the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of the development of lichen planus of the oral mucosa remain not fully understood. The determination of pathogenesis and the use of differentiated, combined methods will allow us to propose an optimal strategy for the prevention of the disease, increase the effectiveness of its prediction and treatment. The call for further research emphasizes the need to study the red lichen planus of the oral mucosa not as an independent nosology, but as a system of complex neurohumoral and immunoallergic changes, disorders that can affect the patient's quality of life.