Background: Systemic diseases are considered to play a role in the development and progression of oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral leukoplakia (OL) lesions. In this study, I have evaluated how successful treatment of systemic diseases affects the lesions in question.
Method: Between September 1998 and May 2015, 106 patients (81 females and 25 males, age ± SD: 54.88±12.916 years, range: 23-91 years) with OL and OLP lesions were investigated. The patients’ past and present medical history, was first noted. Subsequently, a physical examination and laboratory analysis was conducted. Clinical and histological characterisation of the lesions and the presence of co-morbid diseases were investigated. Patient care involved local symptomatic therapy provided by the dentist and treatment of systemic conditions by the appropriate physician.
Results: From the 106 patients involved in the study, 77 patients had OLP and 29 had OL. Twenty OL patients (69.0%) had homogenous form of OL whilst 9 patients (31.0%) had non-homogenous. Fourty-eight OLP patients had non-erosive form of OLP while 29 (37.7%) patients had erosive form. It was found that improving most background systemic disease did have a positive effect on the lesion size and type.
Discussion: Treating systemic diseases of patients with precancerous lesions, did in the least achieve regression of the lesions to non-erosive OLP or to homogenous LP, both of which have a lower probability of progressing to cancer. Treatments of systemic diseases largely depend on patient motivation and cooperation. Therefore, despite these uncontrollable factors in the treatment process, paying attention to systemic diseases of patients with precancerous lesions is still worthwhile.