Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (794 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
An inflammatory, pruritic disease of the skin and mucous membranes, which can be either generalized or localized. It is characterized by distinctive purplish, flat-topped papules having a predilection for the trunk and flexor surfaces. The lesions may be discrete or coalesce to form plaques. Histologically, there is a saw-tooth pattern of epidermal hyperplasia and vacuolar alteration of the basal layer of the epidermis along with an intense upper dermal inflammatory infiltrate composed predominantly of T-cells. Etiology is unknown.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Lichen Ruber Planus; Lichen Rubra Planus; Cutaneous Lichen Planus; Lichen Planus, Cutaneous; Mucosal Lichen Planus; Lichen Planus, Mucosal; Lichen Planopilaris; Planopilaris, Lichen.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Lichenoid Eruptions
- Narrower topics
- Lichen Planus, Oral
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 9,438 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Lichen Planus” (counts retrieved 2026-11-04). 1,794 of them (19.0%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 3,767 records.
Reviews account for 1,251 records (13.3%) and meta-analyses for 102. Randomized controlled trials number 204 (2.2%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 3,767 |
| 2000-2009 | 1,574 |
| 2010-2019 | 2,303 |
| 2020 onward | 1,794 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 1,251 | 13.3% |
| Meta-analyses | 102 | 1.1% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 204 | 2.2% |
Method: PubMed query "Lichen Planus"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-11-04.
Reading the evidence in bones, joints, muscles and skin
Joint, bone, muscle and skin conditions are often judged by pain scores, function questionnaires, imaging or photographs, and symptoms can fluctuate, so placebo response and natural improvement matter. Imaging changes are common in people without symptoms. Nothing on this page is advice about treatment. Check how outcomes were measured, whether the comparison group received a placebo or usual care, and how long the benefit lasted.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Insight into Lichen Planus Immunopathogenesis | 2023 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 81 | cc by PMID 36769361 · DOI · PMC9918135 |
| Updates on immunological mechanistic insights and targeting of the oral lichen planus microenvironment | 2022 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 70 | cc by PMID 36700192 · DOI · PMC9870618 |
| CD8 + T-cell marker genes reveal different immune subtypes of oral lichen planus by integrating single-cell RNA-seq and bulk RNA-sequencing | 2023 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 58 | cc by PMID 37422617 · DOI · PMC10329325 |
| Oral Lichen Planus and Systemic Diseases | 2026 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 6 | cc by PMID 41254953 · DOI · PMC12701911 |
Comprehensive Insight into Lichen Planus Immunopathogenesis [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Lichen planus is a chronic disease affecting the skin, appendages, and mucous membranes.
- Closing excerpt
- This paper presents a comprehensive insight into the actual knowledge about lichen planus, with the causal genetic and environmental factors being discussed, the immunopathogenesis described, and the principal effectors of its inflammatory circuits identified.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (157 words)
Lichen planus is a chronic disease affecting the skin, appendages, and mucous membranes. A cutaneous lichen planus is a rare disease occurring in less than 1% of the general population, while oral illness is up to five times more prevalent; still, both forms equally impair the patient's quality of life. The etiology of lichen planus is not entirely understood. Yet, immune-mediated mechanisms have been recognized since environmental factors such as hepatitis virus infection, mechanical trauma, psychological stress, or microbiome changes can trigger the disease in genetically susceptible individuals. According to current understanding, lichen planus immunopathogenesis is caused by cell-mediated cytotoxicity, particularly cytotoxic T lymphocytes, whose activity is further influenced by Th1 and IL-23/Th-17 axis. However, other immunocytes and inflammatory pathways complement these mechanisms. This paper presents a comprehensive insight into the actual knowledge about lichen planus, with the causal genetic and environmental factors being discussed, the immunopathogenesis described, and the principal effectors of its inflammatory circuits identified.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 36769361 · DOI · PMC9918135
Updates on immunological mechanistic insights and targeting of the oral lichen planus microenvironment [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic immune inflammatory disease that is an oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD), occurs in the oral mucosa and affects approximately 0.
- Closing excerpt
- We highlight the application potential of targeted immune microenvironment therapy for OLP.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (153 words)
Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic immune inflammatory disease that is an oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD), occurs in the oral mucosa and affects approximately 0.5% to 4% of the general population. There are usually five types of OLP: reticular/papular, plaque-like, atrophic/erythematous, erosive/ulcerative, and bullous. Furthermore, the chance of causing oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is 1.4%. Although the etiology of OLP is still unknown, accumulating evidence supports that immune dysregulation may play a vital role in the pathogenesis of OLP, especially the massive production of various inflammatory cells and inflammatory mediators. In this review, we focus on the relationship between OLP and its immune microenvironment. We summarize current developments in the immunology of OLP, summarizing functional cell types and crucial cytokines in the OLP immune microenvironment and the underlying mechanisms of key signaling pathways in the OLP immune microenvironment. We highlight the application potential of targeted immune microenvironment therapy for OLP.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 36700192 · DOI · PMC9870618
CD8 + T-cell marker genes reveal different immune subtypes of oral lichen planus by integrating single-cell RNA-seq and bulk RNA-sequencing [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundOral lichen planus (OLP) is a local autoimmune disease induced by T-cell dysfunction that frequently affects middle-aged or elderly people, with a higher prevalence in women.
- Closing excerpt
- ConclusionsClassification of OLP into different subtypes improve our current understanding of the underlying pathogenesis of OLP and provides new insights for future studies.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (230 words)
BackgroundOral lichen planus (OLP) is a local autoimmune disease induced by T-cell dysfunction that frequently affects middle-aged or elderly people, with a higher prevalence in women. CD8 + T cells, also known as killer T cells, play an important role in the progression and persistence of OLP. In order to identify different OLP subtypes associated with CD8 + T cell pathogenesis, consensus clustering was used.MethodsIn this study, we preprocessed and downscaled the OLP single-cell dataset GSE211630 cohort downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to finally obtain the marker genes of CD8 + T cells. Based on the expression of marker genes, we classified OLP patients into CMGs subtypes using unsupervised clustering analysis. The gene expression profiles were analyzed by WGCNA using the "WGCNA" R package based on the clinical disease traits and typing results, and 108 CD8 + T-cell related OLP pathogenicity-related genes were obtained from the intersection. Patients were once again classified into gene subtypes based on intersection gene expression using unsupervised clustering analysis.ResultsAfter obtaining the intersecting genes of CD8 + T cells related to pathogenesis, OLP patients can be precisely classified into two different subtypes based on unsupervised clustering analysis, and subtype B has better immune infiltration results, providing clinicians with a reference for personalized treatment.ConclusionsClassification of OLP into different subtypes improve our current understanding of the underlying pathogenesis of OLP and provides new insights for future studies.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 37422617 · DOI · PMC10329325
Oral Lichen Planus and Systemic Diseases [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The mouth is referred to as "the mirror of health and disease in the body."
- Closing excerpt
- Future research is recommended to increase our knowledge of pathobiology and clinical management of these associations.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (254 words)
The mouth is referred to as "the mirror of health and disease in the body." This review critically examines the comorbidity between systemic diseases and oral lichen planus, an autoimmune disorder affecting the oral mucosa with malignant potential and of high worldwide prevalence. Research has indicated that patients with oral lichen planus are significantly predisposed to diabetes mellitus (pooled proportion [PP] = 9.77%, odds ratio [OR] = 1.64, P P P = 0.02), hyperthyroidism (PP = 2.84%, OR = 2.11, P = 0.007), celiac disease (PP = 7.14%, OR = 4.09, P P P = 0.02), steatohepatitis (PP = 7.06%, OR = 5.71, P = 0.05), liver cirrhosis (PP = 4.27%, OR = 5.8, P = 0.002), depression (PP = 31.19%, OR = 6.15, P P P = 0.005). A good knowledge of these associations may assist primary care physicians, dentists, and other oral health professionals involved in the management of patients with oral lichen planus since many patients may be unaware of these associations and could have an impact on their general health. Some of these diseases, such as diabetes, have a role in the development of oral lichen planus. In addition, most of these comorbidities act as risk factors for cancer of different locations: liver, thyroid, small intestine, and the oral cavity. Current evidence indicates a high prevalence and a higher risk of systemic diseases in patients with oral lichen planus compared with the general population. Future research is recommended to increase our knowledge of pathobiology and clinical management of these associations.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41254953 · DOI · PMC12701911
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Oral potentially malignant disorders: A consensus report from an international seminar on nomenclature and classification, convened by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Oral Cancer [5]
- Research article Diagnosis of oral lichen planus: a position paper of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology [6]
- Research article Worldwide prevalence of oral lichen planus: A systematic review and meta-analysis [7]
- Research article Oral lichen planus: a literature review and update [8]
- Research article Malignant transformation risk of oral lichen planus: A systematic review and comprehensive meta-analysis [9]
- Research article Oral lichen planus - Differential diagnoses, serum autoantibodies, hematinic deficiencies, and management [10]
Full-text reviews on EvidenceLib
Open-access review articles about this topic, reproduced in full with authors, licence and references.
Lipid Alterations and Metabolism Disturbances in Selected Inflammatory Skin Diseases
Julia Nowowiejska, Anna Baran, Iwona Flisiak · International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2023 · CC BY 4.0
References
- Vičić M, Hlača N, Kaštelan M, Brajac I, Sotošek V, Prpić Massari L. Comprehensive Insight into Lichen Planus Immunopathogenesis. . 2023. PMID 36769361 · DOI · PMC9918135
- Deng X, Wang Y, Jiang L, Li J, Chen Q. Updates on immunological mechanistic insights and targeting of the oral lichen planus microenvironment. . 2022. PMID 36700192 · DOI · PMC9870618
- Zhang J, Peng G, Chi H, Yang J, Xie X, Song G, et al.. CD8 + T-cell marker genes reveal different immune subtypes of oral lichen planus by integrating single-cell RNA-seq and bulk RNA-sequencing. . 2023. PMID 37422617 · DOI · PMC10329325
- Warnakulasuriya S, Ramos-García P, González-Moles MÁ. Oral Lichen Planus and Systemic Diseases. . 2026. PMID 41254953 · DOI · PMC12701911
- Warnakulasuriya S, Kujan O, Aguirre-Urizar JM, Aguirre-Urizar JM, Bagan JV, González-Moles MÁ, et al.. Oral potentially malignant disorders: A consensus report from an international seminar on nomenclature and classification, convened by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Oral Cancer. Oral Dis. 2021. PMID 33128420 · DOI
- Cheng YS, Gould A, Kurago Z, Fantasia J, Muller S. Diagnosis of oral lichen planus: a position paper of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2016. PMID 27401683 · DOI
- González-Moles MÁ, Warnakulasuriya S, González-Ruiz I, González-Ruiz L, Ayén Á, Lenouvel D, et al.. Worldwide prevalence of oral lichen planus: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Oral Dis. 2021. PMID 32144836 · DOI
- Alrashdan MS, Cirillo N, McCullough M. Oral lichen planus: a literature review and update. Arch Dermatol Res. 2016. PMID 27349424 · DOI
- González-Moles MÁ, Ruiz-Ávila I, González-Ruiz L, Ayén Á, Gil-Montoya JA, Ramos-García P. Malignant transformation risk of oral lichen planus: A systematic review and comprehensive meta-analysis. Oral Oncol. 2019. PMID 31422203 · DOI
- Chiang CP, Yu-Fong Chang J, Wang YP, Wu YH, Lu SY, Sun A. Oral lichen planus - Differential diagnoses, serum autoantibodies, hematinic deficiencies, and management. J Formos Med Assoc. 2018. PMID 29472048 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.