The treatment of oral aphthous ulceration or erosive lichen planus with topical clobetasol propionate in three preparations: a clinical and pilot study on 54 patients

Background: This study evaluated the clinical use of a cortico steroid in t hree preparations (topical clobetasol propionate ointment, clobetasol propi onate in an oral analgesic base, and clobetasol propionate in an adhesive d enture paste). Methods: Fifty-four patients (34 males and 20 females) with a history of ve siculo-ulcero-erosive oral lesions were selected: 24 with oral erosive lich en planus and 30 with aphthae. The subjects enrolled were randomly divided into three groups, each of 18 patients (10 with aphthae and 8 with lichen p lanus): the first was treated with topical clobetasol propionate ointment ( 0.05%) directly on the lesion(s) three times a day; the second with clobeta sol propionate in an adhesive denture paste in equal amounts (1:1) two time s a day; the third with clobetasol propionate in an oral analgesic base (Or abase-B) in equal amounts (1:1) two times a day. Each subject scored his or her symptoms daily from most severe (7) to none (0) by verbal assessments using a categorical scale. Results: In all cases, the administration of the corticosteroid was effecti ve in producing remission of symptoms in each group of patients. Significan t differences (P <0.05) between groups were determined by the Kruskal-Walli s test. The Dunn test was used in order to detect which group differs from the others; clobetasol and adhesive denture paste correlated with an early remission of pain in lichen and apthous lesions. Conclusion: The results suggest that topical application of clobetasol in a n adhesive denture paste is an effective drug for symptomatic oral vesiculo -erosive and/or ulcerative lesions.