Development of Proliferative Verrucous Leukoplakia in Patients with Oral Lichen Planus: Observations from a Retrospective Cohort Study

• Grant number: 24/23609-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Ana Carolina Fragoso Motta
• Grantee: Brunieli Cristina Rosa da Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Ribeirão Preto (FORP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease of unknown etiology that affects the oral mucosa, with a higher prevalence in middle-aged women. It is characterized by bilateral reticular-pattern lesions and may be associated with other forms, such as papules, plaques, erosions, or ulcers. Its diagnosis is based on the correlation between clinical and histopathological findings. Although controversial, OLP is considered a disease with malignant potential, with a 0.5 to 2% risk of transformation into squamous cell carcinoma. Additionally, recent studies have reported cases of OLP evolving into Proliferative Verrucous Leukoplakia (PVL) and cases of PVL with lichenoid features, leading to the hypothesis that OLP may progress to PVL or that lichenoid lesions may form part of the clinical and microscopic spectrum of PVL. The aim of this project is to study, through the analysis of a retrospective cohort, cases of OLP from two higher education institutions that evolved into PVL, based on clinicopathological analysis. Variables analyzed will include age, sex, clinical and histopathological characteristics, evolution time, habits, and lesion progression to understand the possible association between OLP and PVL and the risk of malignant transformation, contributing to the diagnosis and management of these conditions. The results will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, calculating measures of central tendency for continuous variables and percentage distribution for categorical variables to adequately characterize the cohort. Furthermore, as this is a retrospective cohort study, association measures, including relative risk, will be analyzed to investigate the relationships between variables and outcomes.