Association Between Oral Lichen Planus and Thyroid Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background

In recent years, various authors have suggested a potential association between oral lichen planus (OLP) and thyroid disease (TD), although other studies have failed to confirm a significant relationship. The available literature presents inconsistent and sometimes contradictory findings. Additionally, other conditions-such as anxiety and depression, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia-have also been linked with OLP.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 120 participants, comprising 60 patients diagnosed with OLP and 60 controls. Medical histories related to TD and other comorbidities were collected for both groups.

Results

The prevalence of TD among the OLP patients was 20%, compared to 6.7% in the control group. The most frequently observed thyroid disorder was hypothyroidism, identified in 13.3% of the patients with OLP. Statistically, there was a moderate probability of an association between OLP and TD (p = 0.054). No statistically significant associations were found between OLP and hypertension (p = 0.378), type 2 diabetes mellitus (p = 0.550), dyslipidemia (p = 0.562), anxiety (p = 0.959), or depression (p = 0.532).

Conclusions

Although the association between OLP and TD remains inconclusive, our findings suggest a moderate statistical probability of a relationship.