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The following is a summary of “Prevalence and Treatment Patterns of Lichen Planus,” published in the November 2024 issue of Dermatology by Toro et al. 

Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic inflammatory mucocutaneous infection with notable morbidity, with limited data on its epidemiology and treatment options.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study describing the prevalence of LP and dermatologist-prescribed treatments in US adults.  

They utilized the Explorys database to analyze the prevalence of LP and the use of specific medications by dermatologists. The data extracted focused on the overall occurrence of LP and detailed dermatologic prescribing patterns for relevant treatments.  

The results showed that among 566,851 eligible patients in the prevalence analysis, 1,098 LP cases were specified, with a median age of 66 years. The crude prevalence of LP was 0.19% (95% CI 0.18–0.21), with a higher prevalence in females (prevalence ratio vs males 1.77, 95% CI 1.53–2.05). The standardized prevalence was 0.15% and 53% (n=1,061) of the patients with LP diagnosed by dermatologists, remained untreated after 1 year. Topical corticosteroids were the most prescribed initial treatment (38%). Continuation and treatment switching were most frequent after starting systemic immunosuppressants (28% and 46%, respectively).  

Investigators concluded the overall prevalence of LP was low, treatment continuation and switching were common among patients requiring systemic immunosuppressive medications. 

Source: jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(24)03236-5/abstract