MALIGNANT POTENTIAL OF ORAL LICHEN-PLANUS - A FOLLOW-UP-STUDY OF 326 PATIENTS

326 patients with oral lichen planus were followed for periods ranging from 6 months to 10 years (mean 4.8 years), in an attempt to clarify the malignant potential of this disease which is still controversial. Malignant transformation occurred in 4 patients (1.3%) in a mean time of 6.5 years after the onset of lichen planus. Before cancer developme nt, 3 of these patients manifested the erosive form of oral Lichen pla nus, while the others, a combination of the papular/atrophic form. Mal ignant transformation in our patients could not be associated with any evident factors, such as family history, local irritation, alcohol co nsumption, nutritional disturbances or other systemic diseases. (C) 19 97 Elsevier Science Ltd.