Lichen Planus and Hepatitis C Virus Infection: A clinical Evaluation of 168 Cases

Introduction. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the factors which can lead to a chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. There have been several reports on the association of oral lichen planus with hepatic disorders, i.e. hepatitis C infection in particular. Considering the controversies about the association of lichen planus with HCV infection on one hand and considerable impact of hepatitis C on the occurrence of chronic liver disease on the other hand, we investigated the association between lichen planus and HCV infection in Sanandaj City. Methods. This cross sectional study included 168 patients with lichen planus, who were referred to the Dermatology Clinic of Besat Hospital between 2014 and 2016. The diagnosis of lichen planus was made by our dermatologist and HCV antibody titer was determined for every patient. Results. Mean age of the patients was 39.7±13.3 years and mean duration of the disease was 14.8 months. 107 (63.7%) patients were men. The highest frequency of lichen planus was recorded in the housewives (30.4%). In 52 (31%) patients the genital area was involved and it was the most common site. In 6 (3.6%) patients the oral mucosa was involved and it was the least common site in our study. Only 4 (2.7%) patients had family history of lichen planus. None of 168 patients included in this study was found to have HCV infection. Conclusion. In this study, we found no relationship between lichen planus and HCV infection. Yet, the exact mechanism underlying the occurrence of lichen planus in the patients with HCV infection has not been determined. Therefore more studies on this subject are recommended.