The Prevalence of Malignant Transformation in Oral Lichen Planus in Two Main Centers in Shiraz (2006-2009)

Background and Ôral lichen planus (ÔLP), a common disease reported to be a premalignant lesion in some studies, may potentially lead to the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of malignant transformation in patients with ÔLP. Ïn this retrospective study, 386 patients diagnosed with ÔLP based on the criteria of the World Health Ôrganization (WHÔ) from 2006 to 2009 in Shiraz were studied. Four patients (1.03%), one man and three women, showed malignant transformation. Âll malignant transformations occurred in red ÔLP types and tongue was the most common location.Çonclusion: The findings of this study confirm the hypothesis that patients with ÔLP have a high risk of developing malignant transformations. Hence, it is recommended that ÔLP patients be monitored annually for early detection of possible malignant transformation.