What is the prognosis of lichen planus?
Usually lichen planus clears up on its own within two years of onset—but for some, particularly when there is oral, vaginal, or nail involvement, the condition lingers longer and may sometimes recur. Depending on the severity of the rash, lichen planus can cause scarring.
What is the cause of lichen planus?
We do know the following:
- Some medicines can cause a rash that looks like lichen planus. ...
- In the mouth, a metal filling may be the cause. ...
- A rare type of lichen planus, familial bullous lichen planus, runs in families. ...
- There may be a link between lichen planus and infection with the hepatitis C virus. ...
Is lichen planus a side effect of lisinopril?
So, it is possible for lisinopril to initiate this condition. However, this is a very rare side effect. According to another article oral lichen planus often arises in association with systemicconditions such as high blood pressure. Please refer the below link:
Is lichen planus related to cancer?
While lichen planus is not considered a “serious” disease, it is linked to several types of cancer. For example, women who have lichen planus in the vulva or vagina have an increased risk of developing vulvar cancer, a cancer that typically presents no symptoms.
How does lichen planopilaris start?
What Causes Lichen Planopilaris? The exact cause of LPP is unknown. It is thought that it could be the result of an autoimmune issue. The most commonly believed explanation is that white blood cells destroy skin and hair cells.
What causes lichen planopilaris to flare up?
Lichen planus can be triggered by: Hepatitis C infection. Flu vaccine. Certain pigments, chemicals and metals.
Is lichen planopilaris caused by stress?
The dry weather makes the fire flare when it might otherwise have just extinguished itself just liek stress causes the LPP to flare when it might otherwise have just stayed quiet. Stress can contribute to a scarring alopecia becoming more active and contribute to flares but probably is not an underlying cause.
Is lichen planopilaris an auto immune disease?
Lichen planus (LP) is a rare, chronic, inflammatory autoimmune skin and mucous membrane disease. LP most commonly presents as itchy, shiny, reddish-purple spots (lesions) on the skin (cutaneous LP) or as white-gray lesions in the mouth or on the lips (oral LP).
What drugs can cause lichen Planopilaris?
What Causes Lichen Planus?Antimicrobials.Antihistamines (H2-blockers)Antihypertensives/antiarrhythmics such as ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers.Antimalarial drugs.Antidepressants/antianxiety drugs/antipsychotics.Anticonvulsants.Diuretics.Antidiabetics.More items...
How fast does lichen Planopilaris progress?
Improvement is usually seen within 6 months. Minoxidil helps maximize the hair growth of the remaining follicles. A new scoring system to assess response to treatment (lichen planopilaris activity index) has been proposed to document the course and response to treatment.
What foods trigger lichen planus?
They'll likely hurt the most when you eat or drink foods that are spicy, salty, acidic (orange juice, tomatoes), or alcoholic. Crispy treats and drinks with caffeine can also cause problems. Your doctor can diagnose oral lichen planus by taking a small piece of skin from inside your mouth.
Can you dye your hair if you have lichen Planopilaris?
I am frequently asked if patients with lichen planopilaris (LPP) and similar scarring alopecias can dye their hair? For most people with scarring alopecia the use of permament, semipermanent or temporary hair dyes is completely safe.
Can lichen Planopilaris be misdiagnosed?
Yes it can. Often androgenetic alopecia gets misdiagnosed as LPP.
Does LPP ever go away?
If symptoms are mild, no treatment may be needed. There is no known cure for skin lichen planus, but treatment is often effective in relieving itching and improving the appearance of the rash until it goes away. Lichen planus of the scalp must be treated right away, or the hair of the affected area may never grow back.
Is sun good for lichen Planopilaris?
If the lichen planus is on the regular skin and not very severe, treatment is often not needed. If the lichen planus is caused by the sun (some cases of lichen planus pigmentosus), a strong sunscreen (sun protection factor [SPF] 50 or higher) should be used daily.
What shampoo is good for lichen Planopilaris?
Corticosteroid shampoos Clobex shampoo, containing clobetasol proportionate, is one such example of a steroid shampoo. This steroid shampoo helps reduce inflammation in LPP and some of my patients use twice weekly when LPP is flaring and others use once every two weeks when LPP has settled down.
Can lichen planopilaris be stopped?
Lichen planopilaris can be treated with topical medication, such as creams and gels, and also orally with tablets, although success rates can be very variable. Unfortunately, there is no single proven effective treatment for this condition and despite trying many medications some people fail to respond.
Does diet affect lichen planopilaris?
Lichen Planopilaris/Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia No statistically significant differences were found regarding consumption of meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, coffee, or alcohol [29].
How I cured my lichen planus on scalp?
If you have lichen planus on your scalp, treatment is important to prevent permanent hair loss. Lichen planus has no cure, but different treatments can help relieve your symptoms and speed healing. Possible treatments include: Antihistamine medicine to relieve itching.
Can lichen planopilaris go into remission?
To make the situation even more complex, it is well known that lichen planopilaris (LPP) and other scarring alopecias can go through periods of activity and remission for many years and that in pseudopelade of Brocq, the hair loss is not associated with any apparent inflammation.
What causes chen planus?
Lichen planus can be triggered by: 1 Hepatitis C infection 2 Flu vaccine 3 Certain pigments, chemicals and metals 4 Pain relievers, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen (Aleve, others) 5 Certain medications for heart disease, high blood pressure or arthritis
What causes a nail to thinning?
When it affects the nails, lichen planus causes thinning, ridging and splitting. Some people experience permanent nail loss.
What is the condition called when the immune system attacks cells of the skin?
Lichen planus occurs when your immune system attacks cells of the skin or mucous membranes. It's not clear why this abnormal immune response happens. The condition isn't contagious.
Can anyone develop Lichen Planus?
Anyone can develop lichen planus. But the condition most often affects middle-aged adults. Oral lichen planus most often affects middle-aged women.
Can Lichen Planus be treated at home?
In the mouth, vagina and other areas covered by a mucous membrane, lichen planus forms lacy white patches, sometimes with painful sores. Most people can manage typical, mild cases of lichen planus at home, without medical care. If the condition causes pain or significant itching, you may need prescription drugs.
What is lichen planopilaris?
Lichen planopilaris is a rare inflammatory condition that results in patchy progressive permanent hair loss mainly on the scalp. Several forms are recognised:
How is lichen planopilaris diagnosed?
Lichen planopilaris is suspected on the clinical presentation and careful examination of the mouth, nails and skin for evidence of lichen planus elsewhere.
What are the clinical features of lichen planopilaris?
Lichen planopilaris typically presents as smooth white patches of scalp hair loss. No hair follicle openings can be seen in the areas of hair loss. Scale and redness surround each hair follicle at the edges of these patches, which may be spiny on palpation. Hairs can be easily pulled out. It is multifocal and small areas may merge to form larger irregular areas.
What causes hair loss on the scalp?
It commonly develops in association with lichen planus affecting the skin, mucosa and nails. The cause of lichen planopilaris is unknown. Although lichen planopila ris is rare, it is one of the common causes of scarring hair loss of the scalp.
How long does it take for hydroxychloroquine to be changed to ciclosporin?
Intralesional and potent topical corticosteroids may also be used. After 2-4 months, hydroxychloroquine is changed to ciclosporin (3-5mg/kg/d) if symptoms continue, the extent of hair loss progresses, or there are clinical signs of disease activity. Ciclosporin is used according to the ciclosporin consensus guidelines.
Is Ciclosporin an antidiabetic?
Ciclosporin is used according to the ciclosporin consensus guidelines. Since 2009, there have been several reports of the use of the antidiabetic agent pioglitazone (off-label) for the treatment of lichen planopilaris.
Can you get lymphocytic folliculitis on a scalp biopsy?
The diagnosis may be confirmed on a scalp biopsy that includes hairs with surrounding redness and scale at the edge of an area of hair loss. Lichen planopilaris is an example of a primary lymphocytic folliculitis. However, it is not always possible to make a diagnosis on biopsy.
What Exactly Is Lichen Planopilaris?
As previously mentioned LPP is a skin disease that leads to scarring hair loss .
What are Treatment Options for Lichen Planopilaris?
Ideally, you want to treat LPP as early as possible. Because hair loss is permanent with LPP, the earlier you begin treating it, the less potential hair loss you will face.
What is LPP in medical terms?
Some news you might not want to hear: Lichen Planopilaris (LPP) is a skin disease that can lead to hair loss.
What is the name of the condition that causes a bump on the armpit and groin area?
Lassueur Graham-Little Piccardi Syndrome: Most commonly affecting women, this type of LPP leads to patchy scarring hair loss, thinning hair in the armpit and groin area, and rough bumps around the hair follicles.
What happens if you have LPP?
Along with hair loss, people who deal with LPP may also notice redness and itching.
How to diagnose LPP?
Generally, LPP is diagnosed via a physical examination and a microscopic look at a piece of tissue from the affected area taken through a punch biopsy.
Is there hair in the lichen planopilaris patch?
Lichen planopilaris most commonly presents as smooth, white patches, and there’s typically no hair in the patch area when on the scalp.
What causes lichen planus?
What causes most cases of lichen planus remains unclear. One theory is that lichen planus is an autoimmune disease. This means the person’s immune system react s as though the skin and other parts of the body are foreign. When this happens, the body starts to attack itself. To find out whether lichen planus is an autoimmune disease, we need more research.
How to tell if you have lichen planus?
We do know the following: 1 Some medicines can cause a rash that looks like lichen planus. These medicines include diuretics (treatment for high blood pressure and heart disease) and medicine taken to prevent malaria. Be sure to tell your dermatologist about every medicine that you take. 2 In the mouth, a metal filling may be the cause. This is rare, but it can happen. If this is the cause, replacing the metal filling with a non-metal filling will get rid of the lichen planus. 3 A rare type of lichen planus, familial bullous lichen planus, runs in families. Other forms of lichen planus do not seem to run in families. 4 There may be a link between lichen planus and infection with the hepatitis C virus. Many people with hepatitis C also have lichen planus. Your dermatologist may check to see whether you have this virus.
Can a metal filling cause lichen planus?
In the mouth, a metal filling may be the cause. This is rare, but it can happen. If this is the cause, replacing the metal filling with a non-metal filling will get rid of the lichen planus. A rare type of lichen planus, familial bullous lichen planus, runs in families.
Is Lichen Planus an autoimmune disease?
To find out whether lichen planus is an autoimmune disease, we need more research. We do know the following: Some medicines can cause a rash that looks like lichen planus. These medicines include diuretics (treatment for high blood pressure and heart disease) and medicine taken to prevent malaria.
What is Lichen Planopilaris?
This is an inflammatory condition that is rare and can result in having progressive patchy hair loss that occurs most of the time on your scalp that is permanent but can also affect other parts of your body that is hairy. Although it is a rare medical condition it is also one of the most common causes of scarring hair loss of your scalp.
How many forms of lichen planopilaris are there?
There are three forms of lichen planopilaris that are recognized which are:
How long does it take for lichen planopilaris to appear?
The reason that some think these could be the cause of lichen planopilaris is that this inflammatory condition appears after some period of time which could be weeks or years after being exposed to these various things.
What age group does lichen planopilaris affect?
It usually affects women in the age range of thirty to seventy with it particularly affecting the post-menopausal middle-age group.
How does mycophenolic acid work?
It is the salt form of mycophenolic acid which is an immunosuppressive medication. It works by inhibiting antibody production.
Can Valerian help with hair loss?
Valerian is considered a calming herb so you can take it to help prevent and relieve the symptoms if there are any. There is no natural treatment that will cure or prevent permanent hair loss scarring from lichen planopilaris. Lichen Planopilaris. 4.8 (95.44%) 57 votes.
Can you take antihistamines for lichen planopilaris?
There have even been some cases where lichen planopilaris has cleared up on its own but most of the time it does need to be treated. For the moderate itching you can take over-the-counter antihistamines for relief.
What is lichen planopilaris?
Etiology. Lichen planopilaris is the prototypical lymphocytic cicatricial alopecia, according to the North American Hair Research Society (NAHRS). It is considered a follicular variant of lichen planus, based on clinical and histopathological findings.
What is the clinical course of lichen planopilaris?
The clinical course of hair loss in lichen planopilaris may be insidious or fulminant , and the pattern highly variable. Commonly, there are several scattered foci of partial hair loss with associated perifollicular erythema and scaling. A pattern of hair loss suggestive of central centrifugal alopecia or Brocq’s alopecia can also occur. The scalp lesions may be single or multiple, focal or diffuse, and occur anywhere on the scalp. Hair follicles around the margins of the bare areas show perifollicular erythema and perifollicular scale, in contrast to discoid lupus erythematosus, where follicular plugging is in the center of the active bare patch. A pull test may yield anagen hair in cicatricial alopecia, which is a useful sign of active disease that requires treatment. Symptoms of itching, burning, pain, and tenderness are often severe. Cutaneous, nail, and mucous membrane lichen planus may occur before, during, or after the onset of scalp involvement. The most characteristic trichoscopic feature of active lichen planopilaris is perifollicular scaling. Trichoscopy of inactive end-stage lichen planopilaris reveals small, irregularly shaped, whitish areas lacking follicular openings, called “fibrotic white dots,” and white areas of conducted fibrosis.
How often does lichen planopilaris affect women?
It affects women, usually between ages 40 to 60 years, more often than men. Up to 50% of patients may develop characteristic lichen planus lesions that affect the skin, mucous membranes, or nails. Pathophysiology. Cell-mediated immunity plays a major role in triggering the clinical expression of lichen planopilaris.
What is the infiltrate of the follicle?
A band-like mononuclear infiltrate obscuring the interface between the follicular epithelium and the dermis is found. The epithelial-stromal junction may have prominent vacuoles and dyskeratosis with individually necrotic, polygonal basal keratinocytes. Inflammation affects the upper portion of the follicle most severely, but it may extend down the length of the follicle. Perifollicular fibrosis and chronic inflammation may be seen in later stages. Ultimately, follicles are replaced by columns of sclerotic collagen, called follicular scars. Such scars can be highlighted with elastic tissue stains. Grouped globular immunofluorescence, usually IgM, especially when found adjacent to the follicular epithelium, is the characteristic pattern seen in lichen planopilaris, in contrast to chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus where linear deposits of immunoreactants are typical. [9]
Is lichen planopilaris alopecia?
Lichen planopilaris is an inflammatory, primary cicatricial alopecia with several different patterns of hair loss. Like lichen planus, the etiology of lichen planopilaris is not known but is presumably related to the cause of lichen planus.[1][2][3]
Why does lichen planus develop?
Lichen planus may also develop due to a reaction to some medicines. Medications used to treat heart disease, arthritis, high blood pressure, malaria, and diabetes, as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers and certain antibiotics, may be to blame.
Why does lichen planus cause skin to become inflamed?
The immune system tends to be overactive in people who have lichen planus, producing excessive antibodies which cause the skin to become inflamed. This abnormal immune response is known as an autoimmune response and may be responsible for the symptoms experienced by people with lichen planus. 2. 2.
What are the other infections that can cause oral lichen planus?
Some cases of oral lichen planus have also been associated with viral infections like those caused by Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, varicella zoster virus, human herpes virus, human papilloma virus, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), though not as commonly as with hepatitis C. 11.
What is lichen planus?
Sep 18, 2017. Lichen planus is an inflammatory condition that affects the skin and mucous membranes. It can result in an itchy, non-infectious rash and can affect many parts of the body, including your trunk, arms, legs, scalp, nails, genitals, and mouth – when it affects the mouth, it is known as oral lichen planus.
How long does it take for lichen planus to go away?
There is no specific treatment that can cure lichen planus. However, most cases resolve on their own within a period of 6 to 9 months. In the meantime, some home remedies like turmeric and aloe vera can help you deal with its symptoms. Get some sunlight and eat foods rich in vitamin A and folate.
What are the white patches on the inner cheeks?
Mouth: white and red patches, a white pattern on the inner cheeks and tongue, painful gums, and a burning or discomfort while eating or drinking. Genital organs: white or purple ring-shaped patches, bumps, and a rash that doesn’t itch on the penis; white, red, or pink streaks and red patches in the vulva.
Is lichen planus hereditary?
However, do keep in mind that other kinds of lichen planus do not appear to be hereditary. 6. Advertisements. One study found that the shin is most commonly affected in familial bullous lichen planus, after which come the upper limbs and thighs. This kind of lichen planus tends to be chronic and progressive.
