This study compared the therapeutic efficacy of steroidal and non-steroidal agents for treating oral lichen planus.

Forty patients with clinical and/or histologically proven oral lichen planus were randomly placed into four groups and treated with topical triamcinolone, oral dapsone, topical tacrolimus or topical retinoid for three months. Pre- and post-treatment symptoms and signs were scored for each patient.

Patients in all treatment groups showed significant clinical improvement after three months (p < 0.05), with steroidal and non-steroidal agents having equal efficacy. Furthermore, of the non-steroidal drugs, oral dapsone had greater efficacy than topical retinoid (p < 0.05). However, no significant differences in outcome were recorded for oral dapsone vs topical tacrolimus (p > 0.05) and for topical retinoid vs topical tacrolimus (p > 0.05).

Non-steroidal drugs such as dapsone, tacrolimus and retinoid are as efficacious as steroidal drugs for treating oral lichen planus, and avoid the side effects associated with steroids.

We report an extremely rare case of laryngeal lichen planus.

A case report and literature review of the aetiopathogenesis, clinical features and management of laryngeal lichen planus are presented.

A male patient presented with hoarseness and a history suggestive of squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. However, characteristic histopathological findings demonstrated lichen planus. The patient responded very well to oral steroids, and at the time of writing had remained symptom-free for two years.

This is the first English language report of laryngeal lichen planus. Lichen planus is a diagnosis of exclusion and responds well to steroids. However, patients should be followed up regularly as malignant change is known to occur.

Background: Of the acquired ear canal atresias, idiopathic, inflammatory, medial meatal, fibrotising otitis has been suggested as a distinct disease entity, for reasons of aetiology.

To report three more cases of idiopathic, inflammatory, medial meatal, fibrotising otitis and to further consider the possible relationship between this condition and lichen planus.

Three adult patients with idiopathic, inflammatory, medial meatal, fibrotising otitis, two with bilateral aural symptoms, treated and followed up at the department of otorhinolaryngology of Helsinki University Hospital.

We found idiopathic, inflammatory, medial meatal, fibrotising otitis, affecting solely the glabrous skin of the osseous part of the external ear canals, in three patients who also suffered from severe oral lichen planus.

The aetiopathology or pathophysiology of idiopathic, inflammatory, medial meatal, fibrotising otitis may be linked with lichen planus. Early, active treatment of idiopathic, inflammatory, medial meatal, fibrotising otitis with local corticosteroids may prevent total medial meatal atresia.