Investigation of Conjunctival Involvement in Patients with Lichen Planus Without Ocular Symptoms

Aim: Lichen planus is characterized by violeceous, poligonal, flat-topped and itch papules, either isolated or in groups, commonly located in flexural surfaces, mucosa and scalp. Mucous membranes are frequently affected (30-70%). Mucous membrane lesions can be seen in the absence of skin lesions and in about 15-25% of the cases mucosal lesions are the only sign of the disease. Besides, buccal mucosa and tongue; lesions in anogenital mucosa, urinary bladder, conjunctiva, larynx and occasionally even in esophagus and tympanic membrane of the ear can be seen. We aimed to investigate involvement of conjunctiva in patients with clinical and histopathological diagnosis of LP. Material and Method: 31 patients and 16 healthy controls were enrolled to the study. Conjunctival scrapings taken under eyelid local anesthesia from both patient and controls. The scrapings collected in cytospin, and by using immunohistochemical method, lymphocyte cell counts were done. The data obtained from the patients and the control group compared with the Mann-Whitney U tests and the results were statistically significant. Discussion: Our study supports the disease can affect all the mucosal surfaces by detection of histopathological involvement in patients with LP without clinical symptoms of eye disease