IADR Abstract Archives
Pain in Oral Lichen Planus
Objectives: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic, immune-mediated condition which can cause inflammation and ulceration of the oral mucosa. The disease is characterized clinically by a range of oral manifestations, from a predominantly white appearance (reticular, papular, plaque) to erythematous and ulcerated lesions. As the disease currently has no known curative treatment, the primary management goal is to relieve painful symptoms and maintain adequate quality of life for affected individuals. The objective of this study is to report patient descriptors of the painful symptoms of OLP and to explore whether there is a correlation between the soreness reported on a visual analogue scale(VAS) and the clinical manifestation of OLP.
Methods: A total of 50 patients of the Oral Medicine Unit of Cork University Dental School and Hospital were invited to participate in this study. The following data was collected – age, gender, time since diagnosis, description of the painful symptoms of OLP, VAS for soreness from OLP, type of OLP and extent of intraoral manifestations based on the Oral Disease Severity Score (ODSS). Spearmans rank correlation coefficient was used to compare ODSS with VAS.
Results: Of the fifty patients that attended there were 11 males (22%) and 39 females (78%), with a mean age of 63. 86% of participants had at least one co-morbidity and 18% had a coexisting autoimmune disease. Participants used a wide variety of terms to describe their symptoms including ‘raw, burning, sore, tingling’. ‘Pain’ was an infrequently used descriptor. Spearman Rho showed a statistically significant correlation between the clinical presentation (ODSS) and the patient’s VAS rating(p=0.00092).
Conclusions: OLP is a condition which can cause soreness and distress. Varied terms are used by patients to describe their symptoms. There is a statistically significant correlation between clinical presentation (ODSS) and the patients experience of soreness (VAS).
Methods: A total of 50 patients of the Oral Medicine Unit of Cork University Dental School and Hospital were invited to participate in this study. The following data was collected – age, gender, time since diagnosis, description of the painful symptoms of OLP, VAS for soreness from OLP, type of OLP and extent of intraoral manifestations based on the Oral Disease Severity Score (ODSS). Spearmans rank correlation coefficient was used to compare ODSS with VAS.
Results: Of the fifty patients that attended there were 11 males (22%) and 39 females (78%), with a mean age of 63. 86% of participants had at least one co-morbidity and 18% had a coexisting autoimmune disease. Participants used a wide variety of terms to describe their symptoms including ‘raw, burning, sore, tingling’. ‘Pain’ was an infrequently used descriptor. Spearman Rho showed a statistically significant correlation between the clinical presentation (ODSS) and the patient’s VAS rating(p=0.00092).
Conclusions: OLP is a condition which can cause soreness and distress. Varied terms are used by patients to describe their symptoms. There is a statistically significant correlation between clinical presentation (ODSS) and the patients experience of soreness (VAS).