The prevalence of precancerous oral lesions. Oral lichen planus

iichen planus is a relatively common disease of unknown etiology that occurs on the skin and oral mucosa. Compared with skin lesions, the mucosal affections have a far more chronic nature and often persist for many years (1). Because of the morbidity associated with these oral lesions and their propensity for malignant development (2), oral lichen planus occupies an important place in dental practice. Varying prevalence rates of oral lichen planus have been reported in different parts of the world, with ranges from 0.12 to 2.4%. The variety of clinical features of lichen planus presents a classification issue for epidemiologic studies. No standardised classification scheme has been developed, other than a general agreement on the importance of WickhamÕs striae in clinical diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to show the epidemiological status of oral lichen planus in a selected population in order to obtain such data as prevalence, distribution according to age, sex, clinical types and intraoral locations.