Lichen planus is a recurring, itchy rash or an inflamed area on the skin. It begins with small, isolated red or purple nodes (greyish spots in the mouth), then these form clusters causing rough surfaced, scaly plaques. It is not an uncommon disease, 2% of the population suffers from it, it mostly occurs on middle-aged persons. The patients are mostly women.

It is incurable, but it can be made asymptomatic: lesions may entirely or partially disappear, but can come back with different intensity. We recommend maintenance treatment to avoid a relapse.

The disease can start abruptly or gradually. Its causes are unknown; it is a response of the immune system to an external or internal antigen. Certain medication, chemicals or contagious agents (mostly gold, bismuth, arsenic, quinine, quinidine, quinacrine) may cause typical symptoms. The lesion itself is not contagious. With 20% of the patients the symptoms reappear.

The rashes are itchy in most of the cases; they are purplish-red, polygonal, solid spots with a shiny surface that stands out when light is directed at them from the side. Where you scratch the skin, new lesions appear, and a dark discoloured surface remains after the symptoms disappear. The distribution of the rashes is usually symmetrical on the body – they are most likely to appear on the torso, the inside of the wrists, legs, on the glans penis, and in the vagina. Half the people suffering from lichen planus also have ulcerative lesions in the oral cavity. On the legs the rashes can be bigger, thicker and scaly. Lesions on the scalp may lead to spotty baldness.

In a February 2007 study, treatment effectiveness was examined for 311 nm UVB-phototherapy and the PUVA-method in the case of lichen planus. The results proved that the two methods have the same level of effectiveness.

Photodermatology Photoimmunology & Photomedicine Magazine
After 30 treatments 3 times a week, 50 % of the patients became entirely asymptomatic, while 30% of the other half of the patients taking part in the study became entirely asymptomatic after the 51st treatment.