Prevalence of desquamative gingivitis in patients with oral lichen planus

INTRODUCTION: Given the stress-related nature of desquamative gingivitis (DG), knowing its clinical and epidemiological aspects becomes essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of DG in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: All cases displaying clinical and histopathological diagnoses of OLP, treated at our institution from 2000 to 2019 and presenting DG lesions at the time of initial examination were included in the study. Epidemiological, clinical and treatment data were analyzed, including OLP classification. RESULTS: The results showed that 23.3% of the cases presented DG at the time of diagnosis, all were women, with a mean of 46 years old, and diagnosed with erosive OLP. Most were White; the most frequent occupations were homemaker and general services assistant. Half of the included patients presented lesions both in marginal and/or inserted gingiva in the anterior and posterior regions, and the majority (71.4%) related pain or discomfort or burning sensation. Topical triamcinolone acetonide aqueous solution ranging from 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3% was prescribed for all patients, showing lesion recurrence in 21.4% of them. CONCLUSION: DG affected women with an average age of 46 years. Triamcinolone acetonide was the drug of choice for the treatment of DG; however, the recurrence rate was high. Therefore, the findings of this study highlight the need for further studies to elucidate the DG behavior and the lesion response to different therapies.